As with all things these days, this entry started with Facebook. A gentleman of undisclosed name and details posted a note which, by completely random chance, caught my attention on a day when I was prepared to ignore everything on that site. The note detailed a personal introduction focusing on certain aspects of the individuals life that identified him as homosexual despite the fact that he adamantly says he isn't. If anything, the note proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that the individual is, in fact, straight. My logic being that anyone who had the self-confidence to post such a note in a very public forum, would have no real issue proclaiming himself gay. That being said, this is less about the note in question and more about cultural trends. Why stop at personal when we can go global?
Sir Ian McKellen came out to the British public back in 1988. The reception he received was one of support and a little hostility but for the most part, British society got over homosexuality. That is to say that London culture advanced to the point where being gay was about as exciting as someone named Smith. The culture evolved to the point where it didn't matter anymore and everyone moved on. Yes there are still pockets of resistance but for the most part, homosexuality isn't even an issue in England.
In comparison, U.S. culture is being pulled in two directions. On the one hand, older generations are inclined to be distrustful of open homosexuals, mostly due to the negative stigma that gay males receive regarding AIDS. Admittedly, lesbians in America are a little better off but they still get scrutiny from their elders. On the other side is the American youth, which is just as split as the adults. For the most part, teenagers and college students have developed a neutral response to homosexuality. Not accepted but not actively hating. This general haze is punctuated by some of the most violent hate crimes of any era, mostly directed at gay men. And while being gay has become mostly OK in the eyes of the public, modern slang revolves around the use of “gay” as a derogatory term that can be applied to just about anything.
For homosexuals living today, a similar dichotomy exists. There immense pressure from both sides to declare one way or the other. Open homosexuals encourage others to embrace their “true desires,” regardless of which way that is. Majority culture urges everyone to conform to a status quo and not deviate to become accepted. While a gay boy or girl might be tolerated as a part of a school or community, he or she would not be accepted on a complete scale.
So I can understand while someone who is straight might feel the need to publicly declare his or her preference, particularly if it's a guy who is extremely “Metrosexual.” At the same time, I could only wish that such decelerations weren't needed and people could accept people as people.
As someone who decided to come out of the closet to his whole school, I realize that I might sound a touch hypocritical. But consider that if I hadn't had to make that announcement, what I could have been accomplishing before when I was hiding. Either way, I'm comfortable with who I am. The only reason I talk about it at all is because I enjoy subjecting modern culture to my viewpoint. And for those of you who have a problem with it, in the immortal words of Ian McKellen, “Fuck off, I'm gay.”
Muah!
Lyrinoir
