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- Jun 28, 2004
Most of our social politics is framed in terms of a discernible "us" hating, harassing and humiliating a detestable "them." This is particularly true for the dominant society; wealthly, aged and white people.
In the 1970's, 1980's and 1990's, people started to come out of the closet and that did two things. It humanized gay people. When a beloved celebrity or family member comes out of the closet, you realize that not all gays are perverts, weirdos and latent child molesters who cruise seedy downtown book stores and theaters. Second and more cynically, coming out of the closet demonstrated the randomized nature of homosexuality. A rich and white couple knows it will have a rich and white baby so they are fine with criminalizing being black and poor but the fact that their children might be gay forces them to at least oppose the criminalization of homosexuality.
It is great that we decriminalized homosexuality (in 2003 as a result of a Supreme Court decision) and made Gay Marriage the law of the land (This year as a result of a Supreme Court decision) but we, as Americans, should not congratulate ourselves too much. Not too long ago, we were just like Russia or Iran or Uganda and we only have grudgingly decided to treat gay people like human beings because homosexuality transcends race and social class.
In the 1970's, 1980's and 1990's, people started to come out of the closet and that did two things. It humanized gay people. When a beloved celebrity or family member comes out of the closet, you realize that not all gays are perverts, weirdos and latent child molesters who cruise seedy downtown book stores and theaters. Second and more cynically, coming out of the closet demonstrated the randomized nature of homosexuality. A rich and white couple knows it will have a rich and white baby so they are fine with criminalizing being black and poor but the fact that their children might be gay forces them to at least oppose the criminalization of homosexuality.
It is great that we decriminalized homosexuality (in 2003 as a result of a Supreme Court decision) and made Gay Marriage the law of the land (This year as a result of a Supreme Court decision) but we, as Americans, should not congratulate ourselves too much. Not too long ago, we were just like Russia or Iran or Uganda and we only have grudgingly decided to treat gay people like human beings because homosexuality transcends race and social class.