It's more like a rare shade of orange.
Posted on 05/05/2011 8:49:06 AM PDT by flowerplough
It's easy to be self-righteous when you're out and proud. But Rachel Maddow's recent comments remind us that it's just not that easy for some folks.
..."Gay people -- generally speaking -- have a responsibility to our own community and to future generations of gay people to come out, if and when we feel that we can."
To her credit, she does add that gay people should decide for themselves on the "if and when." I would be lying if I didn't say that there isn't a day that goes by that I don't find myself frustrated at all the men and women who I know are gay but choose to tiptoe around the truth for their own reasons.
It's harder to counter the point that if more gay people continued to live openly, it would humanize being gay to the greater community, which would make it easier for all gays now and in the future. However, Maddow's words are easier in theory than they are in practice. Moreover, with respect to Ms. Maddow, it's much easier for a white lesbian to adhere to this virtue than her darker gay brethren.
As a highly educated, successful white woman, she is afforded certain privileges that many gays of color still are not. Not to mention, being gay is often a bigger taboo within the black community than the white. And while she has certainly had to contend with her own battles with heteronormativity, it might not be to the same extent as, say, her black male counterparts have to deal with. To that end, her idea of "if and when" a gay person feels comfortable enough to come out requires more thought and explanation.
(Excerpt) Read more at theroot.com ...
Relevant to your interests ping.
Is this Henry’s “coming out” party?
It's more like a rare shade of orange.
It’s taboo because it’s an aberrant lifestyle. Some stay in hiding because they KNOW it’s not normal.
So why does the freak show crowd think they constantly have to harangue us about their perversions when I am able to shut up about my normalcy?
So, the point of the story is that the white homosexuals are prejudiced against the black homosexuals? Damn bigots!
Well said. That is a great question
“So why does the freak show crowd think they constantly have to harangue us about their perversions when I am able to shut up about my normalcy?”
Because for you and I, sexual behavior is not some great identifier of who we are. I mean, I don’t think of myself as “heterosexual” when I look in the mirror in the morning, and let’s just say my thoughts about my private behaviors are passing throughout the various activities I go about in the day, probably similar to you. However, because someone identifies him or herself by their sexual behaviors, there is where most of the difference lies, they have to tell us about something because they treat it as their identity, and think about it, and justify it to themselves, quite often.
You are a boring guy. Other than that, this is an excellent point. Making a sexual perversion into a protected class is absurd. If more people would break Homosexuality down to this level instead of making it into a "Lifestyle", more people would just laugh them off when they complained for more special interest rights. Make them no different than Bondage freaks.
I know more want to know what my neighbors are doing in the bedroom than I want to know what Madcow or other homosexuals are doing...
I accept the facts of life that we have homosexuals in this world, but that still doesn't make it normal...
They do it to push acceptance of their lifestyle. They know they are abnormal and even with approval of others, they won’t be happy. Acceptance won’t change their own feelings of guilt over being abnormal.
Actually, yes it is and no, it is not normal or natural.
Is the author the same Henry Louis Gates who had the beer summit with Obama?
Well said - my sentiments exactly.
Gates is the editor of The Root. Yes. It’s the same one. The author is Michael Arceneaux and I remember that name from FR some where. And NOT pleasantly.
Oh and “The Root” is part of or supported by WaPo.
Funny, and how many closet conservatives have to keep their mouths shut, even in the face of nonstop criticism and insults of our beliefs, lest they risk losing their jobs and being ostracized by their oh-so-tolerant peers?
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