Miss Mash
XTRA! a local Toronto publication recently ran a story "Tragedy is Easy" which looks into our attitudes towards mainstream homophobia and how we seem to accept it.
I would like you to start paying attention to how often being gay is a punchline of a monologue," she said. "It starts with laughing at someone, then it's verbal abuse, then it's physical abuse and then it's this kid Brandon killing a kid like Larry.
-- Ellen DeGeneres
I was thinking about this whole concept since reading "Talkin' 'Bout Faggots" and the question they raised about positive versus negative impacts of using "derogatory" terms such as "faggot".
Could this whole scenario be a test to see how homosexuals react to being the butt » 01 of jokes. Does it test our level of maturity? Does it take the 'edge' off the social issues we are facing today » 02 and make it easy for homophobes to deal with?
Or does it de-humanize us and thusly end up obstructing progress?
Moving on to another side of homophobia; Drew posted a story about a private school in Brisbane that has banned its final year students from taking their same-sex partners to the formal.
There is also a follow up post on this topic here.
This whole issue about private institutions, mostly religious bodies, having such disregard for basic human rights really gets my briefs in a bunch. Since when are they above the law?
And interestingly enough on the other side when a gay bar, that caters to the male clientele, in Montréal asks a woman to leave the establishment it turns into a sexual discrimination case. You can read about Montréal Gay Bar Faces Complaint for "Men Only" Policy and the follow up article Canadian Woman Settles Complaint with Montréal Gay Bar.
I would really like to see what would happen if a bunch of men went to Curves or another "Women Only" health club and when they were denied a similar complaint would be filed.
Years and years ago I did work at one of the gay bars in my home town and of the less-than-a-handful of establishments in town, it was the only one that still held a private liquor license which meant entry into the club was reliant on being a member.
What this enabled the bar to do is maintain control over the clientele entering the establishment translating into keeping the HOMOPHOBES OUT and protecting the safety of its clientele.
Is that discrimination? Or is that catering to clientele! I mean do not get me started on Vegetarian Restaurants!
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