ENGLISH 317. Literature and Culture -- How to be Gay: Male Homosexuality and Initiation.

Just because you happen to be a gay man doesn't mean that you don't have to learn how to become one.

This course will examine the general topic of the role that initiation plays in the formation of gay male identity. We will approach it from three angles: (1) as a sub-cultural practice — subtle, complex, and difficult to theorize — which a small but significant body of work in queer studies has begun to explore; (2) as a theme in gay male writing; and (3) as a class project, since the course itself will constitute an experiment in the very process of initiation that it hopes to understand.

In particular, we will examine a number of cultural artifacts and activities that seem to play a prominent role in learning how to be gay: Hollywood movies, grand opera, Broadway musicals, and other works of classical and popular music, as well as camp, diva-worship, drag, muscle culture, taste, style, and political activism. Are there a number of classically 'gay' works such that, despite changing tastes and generations, all gay men, of whatever class, race, or ethnicity, need to know them, in order to be gay? What is there about gay identity that explains the gay appropriation of these works? What do we learn about gay male identity by asking not who gay men are but what it is that gay men do or like? One aim of exploring these questions is to approach gay identity from the perspective of social practices and cultural identifications rather than from the perspective of gay sexuality itself. What can such an approach tell us about the sentimental, affective, or subjective dimensions of gay identity, including gay sexuality, that an exclusive focus on gay sexuality cannot?

I believe that I understand what you're trying to say.

I understanmd this from insight that I possess respecting personal witness of at least a decade of animal husbandry as it applies to the breeeding of German Shepherds.

Temperment is a quality that is strongly coveted regarding an animal's geneaology (and most espeacially regarding its "working" ability). A meek temperment German Shepherd can never be confused with that of a "gay" German Shepherd. Even so, and that notwithstanding, I've seen things (perhaps instilling wonder concerning the nature of sexuatlity?). Nevertheless, I've never had any doubt 'bout my sexuality (or those dogs others might consider "gay".

In fact, akin to the German Shepherds that I've witnessed first-hand as being "effeminate", I've seen the worst of "effimate" animal suddenly becane quite "masculine" and acted VERY "male" once the environment changed sufficiently to bring that trait out.

The converse, however, is not true: I've never seen the mascluline Gernam Shepherd become effeminate without sufficient cause.

You can tell me what you desire, but I kmow it full well: homsexuatlity is an abomination; that not just to me either.

My daughter attends UMich, the liberal arts school. She is a hard science major and plays a club sport and is an officer in her sorority. I send a lot of money there...she LOVES it. I love it--I get to at least one game a year at The Big House. And oh, BTW, she is a good conservative as are many of her friends.

I have prepared all of my kids to understand the liberal phenomenon and they do--water off a ducks back to them.

And unless they attended Liberty University, this sh*t is everywhere.

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