Saturday, April 7, 2018

He's gay? Him too? Them too!


 Lately my daily ritual is to check out what is posted on the blog, The Gay Almanac, I enjoy reading about people past and present that are members of the LGBTQ community, their accomplishments and legacies, plus the people who are looking out for us. It's like our very own personal history and information page. I know we shouldn't look back longingly to our past, I just can't help wishing we had something like this when I was growing up. Many mornings I spend spraying my coffee out onto my phone yelling, "he's gay, I didn't know he's gay"! If only we had known that so many people we once admired, were also just like us.

 I once watched a very conservative person insist that gay youth absolutely do not need gay role models. Being gay himself, he said gay youth only need good role models. He went on to brag about all his accomplishments that he had achieved. I felt he conveniently forgot about all the people who cleared the way for him to make those achievements. He forgets that only a few decades ago, he could have been jailed for being gay and spent his life rotting in a cell instead of being interviewed on t.v. This man has an agenda to push so he picks and chooses the parts of gay society that meshes with his story.

 I think it's important for gay youth to see themselves in today's society. How can people say that kids in sports need role models, that kids of certain minority groups need role models but when it comes to LGBTQ role models, they are not needed. There are still many places in Western countries where being gay is not ok. Those young kids need to see that many of the good people doing interesting things in the world today, are members of the LGBTQ community just like them and are proud of it.

 Sometimes life can imitate art, I was reading comments about a movie that recently was released, regarding a gay teenager coming out. I think the general feeling was that the movie is too nice, that it should have been more tortured. I say why can't today's gay youth get to have their own love story. I know I sure wanted one. They were all tortured and depressing when I was a kid and I can't see how that benefited me in the least. It just made me wish I was straight more! I can remember straight people getting upset over a gay film where one of the gay leads said that they didn't feel tortured. That was shocking to movie critics, how dare a gay person enjoy being gay!

 There are happy endings now, I have seen awesome coming out stories for the younger generations. If your parents watched and enjoyed the original Will and Grace, I really doubt they are going to reject you for coming out. I think there is nothing wrong with seeing a gay love story no matter how mushy, maybe gay people could expect a little romance as a way of starting relationships. It sure would be a step up from the usual strangers hooking up. Speaking of life imitating art, I remember when Ellen first came out on her show, she made the comment that there is no such thing as a cake with "Congratulations You're Gay" written on it. That made people think why not, yes it's sappy, yes it's nice, yes it wasn't reality; however after I remember for years some people who came out to friends got a surprise cake saying that very thing. I usually got a hug, except my straight male friend, he gave me a handshake and said congratulations on coming out.


The Gay Almanac is on my blog list I recommend you check it out.
Mistress Maddie also often blogs about the history of drag while looking fabulous doing it!

12 comments:

BlogMarkBlog said...

Thanks so much for the shout out about The Gay Almanac!

Sooo-this-is-me is on my LGBTQ Website list and it has become a favorite site for me to check out.

I really appreciate your kind words and hope that by spreading the news about LGBTQ history, news, and people that everyone realizes there really is a lot to be proud of. There are hundreds of pioneers and heroes that have sacrificed much so we can have the victories we now have. There are talented artist who happen to be gay that live their lives and out and proud. Thankfully, many young people these days feel less of a stigma about being LGBTQ, but not everywhere by a long shot. I hope what I do gives a better understanding to those having a hard time with dealing with LGBTQ issues.

--Mark at the Gay Almanac

Mistress Maddie said...

I agree with what you say here too Steven. We must always remember and preserve the past as we move on. We must not sweep it under the rug, or shrug off the older generation who want to regale stories. When I go to the Raven for a few, they are well known for the older men that come in. I often listen to their colorful stories. They are characters I tell you, but one can learn lot of there stories. All role models too, to live through what they did.

And must not take for granted what we have either. I dated a Russian guy for some time. Vatali would go back to Russia and would come back with appalling stories of how the gay community was, and is, still treated. His family made him leave the county. He was here for a while but settled in Italy. The boy's accent could have made me do anything, but that's another story.

Yes...and so glad gay movies are getting better and not always campy or sad endings.I have stopped by the Gay Almanac and must add them to my blog list. I always enjoy my stops in.

John Going Gently said...

I have a great niece , nephews and and fifteen year old nephew ( by marriage) who don't want to know gay history...they just accept it and other sexuality ( as gender fluid ) as normal
That's the way forward xx

Ur-spo said...

That sounds worthwhile to check out thank you
I am most grateful for my two gay mentors I still keep in touch with one of them, my 'big brother' I see him.

Anonymous said...

I could have used a few positive gay role models in my young life.

Old Lurker said...

The Gay Almanac is a treasure, but I have trouble keeping up with the posts, because it is not one of my daily check-ins. Maybe that should change.

Sooo-this-is-me said...

Mark, you are most welcome, I appreciate the effort you put into your blog. I enjoy reading it and think it's important to have a blog like this around.

Sooo-this-is-me said...

Maddie, yes I agree, it's important to not forget the past, some people want to it seems. I think that comes from a place of not wanting to deal with the stress of reality. Plus there are still people in areas where being LGBTQ is dangerous.

Sooo-this-is-me said...

John, most kids don't want to know anything about history, they feel that they already know everything lol. We can only put it out there and eventually it sinks in. I don't think forgetting the past is the way forward, it's the way for someone charismatic to come along and get people believing that things were better in the past when "gays were under control".

Sooo-this-is-me said...

Dr Spo, yes please check it out, lots of interesting info regarding the LGBTQ community. The original gay bloggers were the only mentors I had.

Sooo-this-is-me said...

RJ, I agree, it would have been great if I had someone to look up to. As it was, I thought if I lived a gay life, according to what I saw on tv at the time, I would end up a mentally disturbed freak in society.

Sooo-this-is-me said...

Mr Lurker, I think you would enjoy a daily reading so yes make it a habit. Actually at the end of the month I'm giving an exam on some of the information, those below 65% will have their LGBTQ membership cards taken away.