Well, I've been thinking some more about the problems caused by keeping our physical affection in the closet, and today, during a heated debate following an appearance by Diana Ossana -- co-writer of Brokeback Mountain -- I almost got a chance to speak my mind, but time was short, so I didn't. Anyway, that's what blogs are for, so here goes.
If you read my profile, you know that I'm a graduate student at the University of California at Santa Barbara. As do many major universities, our university claims to be a haven of acceptance for LGBT people. There are gay organizations, gay meetings, openly gay students, openly gay faculty and staff, huge visible rainbow flags at the University Center, stickers on many professors' office doors that say "Safe Zone." All of that is wonderful.
But then I began to think, "Wait a minute. When was the last time I saw a same-sex couple kissing or even holding hands on campus?" Answer: Never! A woman at the appearance today seconded my feelings when she argued that the situation in Brokeback Mountain does not exist just in that place and time, but exists right there on the university campus. What is up with that? It proves once again that much of society is just fine with us as long as we are eunuchs. Some of our biggest supporters would groan if they saw us kissing. You know what? Will I be the one to start? Probably not. But look, folks, we have to start (with apologies to Stephen Sondheim) somehow, someday, somewhere.
In fact, my partner, who goes to school at Cal State University, Long Beach said that, at least in his music department, no one would think twice about two guys or two girls kissing. And that means that much of the problem is our own internalized homophobia because we're afraid people will freak. Well, maybe they will and maybe they won't. That's their problem.
If we lived in Wyoming in 1963 when there was no gay community for support and we might actually have risked death, maybe things would be different. But we don't. So let's get out there and start locking lips!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Sorry but I just smile when I see same sex couples holding hands or even giving each other a peck of a kiss but just like hetrosexuals there is a limit as to what is appropiate in puplic. Hope things change but it takes time - remember how long it took for this amount of acceptance took.
Post a Comment