My life has been conflicted lately. I have been curious about meaning and purpose, and this all hit the fan after two horrible relationships in a row. Thanks should go out for the swift kick in my genals (not misspelled) since it has kick started my search for purpose. My life is full of moments where everything seems to have a proper place, and in my lit theory class we are studying Marxist theories and hegemony. I have been a result of a hegemonic system, on multiple levels, and I am ready to break out. There is a concept of Traditional and Organic and I am ready to move from the Traditional to the Organic. (Traditional Intellectuals suffer under delusions while lending support to exploitation and domination while Organic Intellectuals reveal the oppression and domination and counter hegemonic forces.)My role as a writer, lover, and liver are all in question and I keep cementing myself in my new purpose and self-worth. The majority of this introspection started after the annual HRC dinner and the March for Equality on Washington D.C. I am all for equal rights, but I hate how the gay community keeps glorifying trivial accomplishments. Yes all that is being put through congress is great, but the gay community has yet to realize the steps they need to take in order to obtain equality. If we look back in history at the Black Civil Rights Movement certainly laws were passed which were huge accomplishments, but nothing changed quickly. It wasn't until 'role-models', such as Dr. Martin Luther King Junior, that things started to change. Why? Introspection and reevaluation of the black community within its self. Not to say that the black community had to change to appease white people, quite the opposite, blacks started moving towards one goal and one 'role-model'. The gay community is now in a rut, with no hope in its future until they realize what they must do to now enact change on a micro-level. First off, there is too much fear within the gay community for any opinions to change. Fear leads to silence, and silence is no one's friend. Those who are in fear need to swallow it and move on. Don't dance around in your underwear, unless that's what you want to do, or wear a rainbow shit that says 'We're Here, We're Queer, Get Used to It' unless you want to, but don’t afraid to be gay. Put your hand on your significant other's knee in a public restaurant; share a kiss while sitting on a bench overlooking a lake. Once we act like everyone else, everyone will start seeing us as everyone else. Yes there are dangers, but where has fear lead anyone? Certainly not towards change. Another point about fear, the more 'conservative' gays (the business professionals and decent members of society) are too quiet. The stereotype of gays is those who have promiscuous sex and dance around in underwear with glitter on their chests. That’s not me, and frankly, the only ones who are speaking out are the flamboyant ones. Unfortunately that isn't my voice, and I don’t want to be lumped into the stereotype of flamer. So, more 'conservative' (not politically) gays need to speak out more, we are unique but we are also not exotic. We are like everyone else, and we need to show the world that we are just like them. But the answer isn’t just a macro approach to the problem; we need to work together in small grouped in every town to familiarize the general populace with the homosexual lifestyle. Do the little things, like kiss and hug and hold hands; those minute changes in behavior carried out repeatedly will start to soften the blow that is about to come.
Part of my purpose has become the familiarization of the gay community, and I plan on creating a Homosexual Movement (much in the fashion of the women's movement) because we need it, and so does everyone else. I am a writer and a scholar and this is my contribution to the gay community as well as not hiding myself to the world. What is your contribution?
Stay vigilant, and we all will win.