LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
Gay 'n Gray |
by John D. Siegfried |
'Tis The Season
'Tis the season sounds like the chorus of a Christmas carol. But that's not the season I'm thinking of. June is the season for Gay Pride celebrations. Major cities, as well as smaller locales, mark the anniversary of Stonewall with Pride parades and other events. It's hard to believe that this June marks forty years since a small cadre of drag queens in the Stonewall Inn bar in New York City resisted a routine unwarranted vice raid, thus setting off a riot. That event is largely recognized as the start of the gay liberation movement. Actually, the stage for Stonewall was set by gay and lesbian activists and demonstrators for at least two decades preceding that fateful June night in Greenwich Village. But, while the fuse had been smoldering, Stonewall was the explosion that changed the gay/lesbian landscape forever. Prior to Stonewall, except for a few urban enclaves in San Francisco and New York, gays and lesbians remained closeted and fearful of the consequences they would incur if their sexuality became known to their families, friends, or co-workers. After Stonewall, the phenomenon of "coming out" snowballed and gays and lesbians began to take pride in who they were and in their uniqueness. So the early events celebrating Stonewall became known as Pride events. Dan Savage, who's column Savage Love, is internationally syndicated, suggests in his book Skipping Towards Gomorrah, that the day of Gay Pride is over, or should be over. Originally gay pride was intended as an antidote to the decades of hostility, oppression and self-hate that men and women of an earlier era endured. As with any antidote to a toxin, however, the antidote in time itself becomes poisonous. Noting the origins of gay pride parades, Savage says, "The message at gay pride parades hasn't evolved; it's still gay is good! There are two problems with this: First it's misleading. Gay isn't good or bad, it's just gay....Second, what relevance does a 'gay is good' message have to the vast majority of American gay men and lesbians who don't believe there's anything in the least bit shameful about their homosexuality." Savage goes on to point out that pride parades are often posited as a way to reach out to gay youth, or as an inspiration for those struggling to come out of the closet, or as a stimulus to gay liberation. However, he states, "Gay pride parades are bacchanalsass-licking, ass-kicking partiesand perhaps it's time for gay people to admit it." Furthermore, he continues, "For as long as we attempt to pass our Mardi Gras off as social work, the homophobes with their video cameras will go on exposing the gulf between our goody-goody rationalizations and what actually goes on at pride parades. So let's stop making excuses, let's drop the rationalizations. The gay pride parade is a good time, and that's enough. Perhaps it's time for gay parades to come out of the closet. Gay people should admit that the pride parade is about pleasure, period....If gays and lesbians could stop tarting up a good time in the drag of good intentions, our annual parade wouldn't be an occasion for heterosexuals to grump at us about dykes on bikes, men in drag, and boys on leashes." Let the parade be a parade is Savage's plea. Drop the pride and the politics. While I'm not sure that I agree with Savage's screed about pride events, reading his comments made me appreciate even more how CAMP Rehoboth is a leader in providing celebrations for our community with Sundance, Love, and other events throughout the year designed to provide "...a good time, and that's enough." They may be fund raisers for worthy causes but they are not a political masquerade. Savage's book is really a good read. He explores each of the deadly sins (which I was amazed to learn aren't even Biblical) with humor, insight and a barbed tongue. He explores greed in Las Vegas and cadges gambling tips from casino dealers. He explores lust with an orthodox Jewish couple who are swingers and gluttony is examined at a fat-acceptance conference. The book contains a lot of laughs, interesting information and challenges to my conventional preconceptions.John Siegfried, a former Rehoboth resident who now lives in Ft. Lauderdale, maintains strong ties to our community and can be reached at hsajds@aol.com. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 19, No. 06 June 5, 2009 |