Some time ago, while ironing shirts, I was contemplating an advertisement in Men's Fitness for a personal grooming device. I was thinking how much it illustrated the influence of gay people on popular culture. Here's a trend, or possibly a fad, that's existed in the gay community for some time now being promoted in a national magazine that tries really hard to appeal to straight men.
But then I corrected myself. Influence is too small of a term. Gay people are popular culture. It's like the scene in The Devil Wears Prada where the main character smirks at the people around her getting all stressed about fashion and Meryl Streep's character explains that the color of the sweater she's wearing "was not just blue, but Cerulean Blue", was created by a designer of high end fashions a couple of years prior and worked it's way down through the different levels until it ended up being offered on discount clothing. Gay designers, chefs, writers all create new ideas that are first embraced by gay people then work their way through the culture until they're featured in mainstream publications.
When my roommate, Keith, got home he pointed out that gay people are responsible for more than fads and trends. Without gay people men would still be hitting women over the head with clubs and dragging them off to their caves. Let me explain: In grade school most boys hang out with other boys and the girls stick together as well until adolescence and they discover the opposite sex. But boys and girls that are destined to discover the same sex at adolescence will usually be found playing with the opposite sex in grade school. Then, when a straight adolescent wants to approach a girl, but doesn't have a clue as to how, he can ask his gay friend for advice on how to talk to her so he doesn't have to resort to hitting her over the head and dragging her off to a cave.
Albert Bell said: "Straight people birth children and raise corn. Gay people birth culture and raise consciousness." Straight people are consumed in the day to day duties of child rearing and worrying about getting food on the table and maintaining a roof over the head of their families. Gay folks have the time to explore and create. Actually, it's more than just having the time and energy, we're compelled to since we're so ridiculed and demonized by mainstream society our creativity is forced to expand to justify our lives and look for a new source of validation. We get in the habit of questioning everything, and every point of view.
I know you all think gay people deserve better than to be beaten nearly to death and left tied to a fence. But where along the line of tolerance would you put us? The extant to which civilization depends on gay creativity and intellect to advance goes beyond what's justified by mere tolerance. It makes us a vital part of the human race.
After Ann Coulter said those horrible things about gay people this summer, drag performer Jackie Beat correctly noted: "Ann Coulter is a horrible witch -- you know that some queen is bleaching and straightening that hair. And who designs her little black dresses and shoes? Trust me, it's gay men! I would love to see Ann Coulter in a gay-free zone -- she would have coarse mousy brown hair, poorly applied drugstore makeup and walk around in a hideous floral housecoat and comfortable flats. You can't have it both ways, Ann." (Jackie Beat quote via Joe.My.God.)
1 comment:
So true. So true. When I used to go to a beauty school to have my hair done, I usually asked for one of the men to do it. They always did the best job and knew exactly what I wanted. They had a good feel for what they were doing.
Nola
Post a Comment