LGBT: The Narrative of a People

Throughout the course of the term we have discussed the different plights of the LGBT community, and their struggle with the pressures of dominant society. Through books articles and movies, the story of a people has began to unfold. The course materials were only one side of the story although, the conversation of the class brought out a much different dynamic in the story. Through personal experiences and confessions of ignorance, much more than what was contained in the lines of the readings we were given emerged.

Homosexuality began as a pathology, as a disease, something to be feared and loathed, and potentially cured. Through that categorization though, came the basis for forming an identity separate from the false accusations of disease. This story of a people definitely is characteristic of one that will require major work to achieve a dynamic end result. I recently spoke of the issues with the gay and lesbian community not wanting to accept transgendered people as a part of the community, but where do they think the rise of transsexuals came from?

If homosexual acts existed before it was categorized widely as a disease, and the grouping of the supposedly "sick" people bred the strength and thought necessary to create an identity apart from that, one of pride that would lead to the Stonewall movement why can that gay identity of visibility and drag queens and butches not have bred Transgenders? If sickness could carve out an identity for a group of people, and what an identity it was, why not the expression of pride in such difference create the strength and courage for a transgender identity? In this instance how could a group that in an essence gave birth to another, completely disown their own creation essentially? In the end though, any story has its ups and down.

Stonewall marked the true birth of the gay movement and considering its style of delivery in the book, integrated well into the narrative history of the gay movement. I say the gay movement because at that time that is all it was, a GAY movement. Bisexuals had not place, transgenders had no separate identity, they were simply full fledged queens because the spark had not yet come forth to invest in such technologies, at least in a sensibly fund efficient manner. As all things though, you must start small and work your way up, so all of the bisexuals and people who wanted to be fully trangendered honestly paved the way for the full LGBT acronym we have to day.

After finally making headway into a movement, being a full fledged "identity," if you will, the LGBT community then deals with the struggles of being accepted. I would still argue although, that as time progresses the definition for acceptance in the LGBT community will change. From the readings of Stonewall it was clear gay people just wanted to be treated as normal human beings whose feelings wouldn't have them categorize them as some biohazard or get them brutally beaten or killed in the street. Now acceptance is gay marriage, more media attention, and less oppression to have to conform to dominant heterosexual norms. This although is not a bad thing. The question has been asked, what will gays do when they gain so many rights and become so accepted that they are no longer different from dominant society because dominant society then includes them. I say that this will never happen because there will always be some new issue that comes up that gay people will wants rights to, as they should, therefore their identity will never become fully assimilated because their fight will never be done.

How is it that their fight will never be done, that their identity will never become watered down? This is because as long as there are still things around like HIV, and other disease that circulates heavily in the gay community, there will always be something highly negative to keep that stigma and marginalization alive. It is very ironic how the negativity of the world stemming from the stigma of HIV/AIDS stems from a positive test response. HIV has devastated the gay community, especially the males, and will for a very long time, if not forever bear the weight of that devastation. There seems to be light at the end of the tunnel though, and that light is called HAART.

Stonewall, emergence of new gay identity, HIV, civil rights, all are chapters in this narrative of the LGBT community. There are smaller more specific themes yes, but these are the major recurring themes that influences who people associated with the LGBT acronym are today. Like said before there are of course ups and downs in every story, much of this story has been downs, whether inflicted upon by dominant heteronormative society, or inflicted upon one another by dominant gay society the struggle will go on, the story will continue to be told. As I look back on all of the evidence I have garnered in the past culminating to this final post I hope that dominant society can soon learn to accept us. I have realized that much of the world's problem now is not homophobia, no one is really afraid of what gay people will do to them, it is homoignorance. For every person who believes every gay man flaunts pastels and can decorate your house to perfection, or conversely will go after any man he sees, or molests little boys because it is their nature, I blame ignorance. For every lesbian who is expected to be able to bench 400 pounds and have a shaved head I call it ignorance. For every bisexual person who is called greedy, confused, or scared, for every transgendered person who is called a freak, I hold ignorance responsible. Maybe one day our narrative can truly get better if it became a little less of a narrative, and a little more like at textbook.