Wow! I really can relate to your commentary: Why Can't Desire Be' and 'Sexual Partners, Not Just Preference.'
Unfortunately, what you argue against is the result of "I can't help it. I was born that way" thinking which provides a convenient excuse for accepting responsibility for one's behavior. Anytime that happens, trouble ahead! Victimization is giving in to Oppression. I for one do not believe that being gay is predetermined and limited to 10% of the population. That's the same kind of thinking that leads to accepting reality -- especially straight racist heterosexual reality -- as immutable and frozen in time. I think if all things were equal, people would relate to each other as individuals rather than as categories, but that would require taking more responsibility for one's actions.
Gay is a behavior, not an identity. In the 1970s, we identified as gay -- I was one of them -- in order to fight for our rights; it was necessary then, but today young people increasingly do not allow themselves to be separated into these straight vs gay categories. Gayness is itself now out of the closet so the individual can live their sexual preferences more easily as he or she pleases. The young I know do not adhere to the ghetto mentality of most older gays. They are free to associate sexually with either sex. Straight women are pivotal in that new reality; what woman wants to a lover who is homophobic these days? so, behavior in those settings has evolved in ways unknown to us in the past. I welcome that progress. In short, much of the battle we fought for 40 years ago has been won. What you bring to our attention in your commentary today is that we must now focus on cleaning our own act and showing equality towards all of our own (fems, bisexuals, trannys, etc.) as we demand others to grant us.
As a multicultural photographer who has often used models who were beautiful, but who did not always meet the standard muscled butch model requirements, I found these models routinely rejected by blogs and magazines for these reasons alone and not for the color of their skin. If this kind of same sex discrimination exists within our community how can people of color rightfully expect racial discrimination to come to an end. One should clean one's house first before one can expect our neighbors to do the same.
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Nice photos and words!
ReplyDeleteCLIPBOY: THANKS!
ReplyDeleteHey Marc,
ReplyDeleteWow! I really can relate to your commentary: Why Can't Desire Be' and 'Sexual Partners, Not Just Preference.'
Unfortunately, what you argue against is the result of "I can't help it. I was born that way" thinking which provides a convenient excuse for accepting responsibility for one's behavior. Anytime that happens, trouble ahead! Victimization is giving in to Oppression. I for one do not believe that being gay is predetermined and limited to 10% of the population. That's the same kind of thinking that leads to accepting reality -- especially straight racist heterosexual reality -- as immutable and frozen in time. I think if all things were equal, people would relate to each other as individuals rather than as categories, but that would require taking more responsibility for one's actions.
Gay is a behavior, not an identity. In the 1970s, we identified as gay -- I was one of them -- in order to fight for our rights; it was necessary then, but today young people increasingly do not allow themselves to be separated into these straight vs gay categories. Gayness is itself now out of the closet so the individual can live their sexual preferences more easily as he or she pleases. The young I know do not adhere to the ghetto mentality of most older gays. They are free to associate sexually with either sex. Straight women are pivotal in that new reality; what woman wants to a lover who is homophobic these days? so, behavior in those settings has evolved in ways unknown to us in the past. I welcome that progress. In short, much of the battle we fought for 40 years ago has been won. What you bring to our attention in your commentary today is that we must now focus on cleaning our own act and showing equality towards all of our own (fems, bisexuals, trannys, etc.) as we demand others to grant us.
As a multicultural photographer who has often used models who were beautiful, but who did not always meet the standard muscled butch model requirements, I found these models routinely rejected by blogs and magazines for these reasons alone and not for the color of their skin. If this kind of same sex discrimination exists within our community how can people of color rightfully expect racial discrimination to come to an end. One should clean one's house first before one can expect our neighbors to do the same.