A Colorless Culture
Although I came into LGBTQ studies with a ready acceptance of diversity, I feel that the
class has opened my eyes to the full extent of differences among the people in the queer
community, as well as the past and modern treatment its members face. I was surprised at the
beginning of the course to learn that some ancient cultures were fairly accepting of their
homosexual members. To me, itÕs remarkable that civilizations as early as ancient Greece
condoned male/male relationships (Gibson, 5). Although, it does add some perspective to
consider that women were regarded as having much lower status than men. However, it was
very inspiring to see that in Native American culture, Òtwo-spirits,Ó people possessing both
female and male identities, were granted full acceptance, and even held in high regard (Gibson,
I find it very unfortunate that this acceptance regressed over time. Two of the full-length
movies we watched in class, Screaming Queens and Before Stonewall, reveal that queer
identified people, especially crossdressers, were targets for harassment in the US during the mid
twentieth century (Before Stonewall). They could be arrested simply for wearing clothing that
didnÕt ÒfitÓ their specified gender (Screaming Queens). It was disheartening to watch human
beings fight for the basic right to control their own identity. Even more disheartening was
learning about modern examples of discrimination. In my research for the final LGBTQ project,
I learned that, since the early 1980Õs, blood drives have refused to accept donations from gay
men (Darling). The donor questionnaire asks bluntly, Òsince 1977, have you ever had sexual
contact with another male, even once?Ó (Darling). I find this procedure problematic because it
perpetuates the outdated stereotype that gay men are among the groups most susceptible to
AIDS. While it is true that gay and bisexual men are the largest group of people infected with
HIV, this is most likely due to external causes, not susceptibility due to queerness. For example,
gay men may be less likely to use protection because there is no risk of pregnancy. HIV has
been proven to spread through contact of bodily fluids, making anyone, regardless of sexual
orientation, vulnerable to infection. In the past two decades, tests have also been devised to
screen a blood sample for HIV (Darling). All in all, a heterosexual man who engages in unsafe
sex can donate blood, while a homosexual man who only engages in safe sex, cannot.
Upholding the ban only serves to perpetuate the stereotype that AIDS is a ÒgayÓ disease.
Another stereotype that manifested in the past, but lingers today, is that all gay men are
effeminate. Modern media seems to exploit this image. In modern television, shows like
Modern Family and Glee project the effeminate stereotype onto many of their gay characters,
again, representing a stereotype, and not allowing for individuality among their LGBT
characters. The media portrays ÒgaynessÓ as an act, rather than a facet of a personÕs identity. For
example, John Barrowman, a gay actor, was turned down a role on the television show Will and
Grace because he couldnÕt Òact gayÓ enough for the character, even though Barrowman has
firsthand experience in the world of gay men (F, Alex). Interestingly enough, the ÒmachoÓ,
manly-man image that we often associate with heterosexual men can be traced back to
homosexual origins. To rebuff the effeminate image, artist Tom of Finland began to illustrate
highly stylized, ultra-masculine images of gay men for physique magazines during the 1950Õs
(Gibson, 238). The images featured muscular men, often in uniform, and often involved in
sexual acts. The Òbeach sceneÓ of the same decade also idealized these well-built, athletic men;
it seems fitting that this scene was predominantly homosexual as well (Gibson, 238). This
image, the athletic body resembling to a Greek statue on steroids, became the ideal form for
heterosexual men as well who wanted to capitalize on their own masculinity.
One of the most frustrating topics for me to learn about during the course was
discrimination within the LGBT community, primarily towards transsexuals and bisexuals. In
Finding Out, the author states that many feminists are angered by transsexuals, condemning
FTMs because they are supposedly altering their gender to heighten their status in a patriarchal
society, and excluding MTFs because they ÒhavenÕt lived as womenÓ for the entirety of their
lives (Gibson, 153-4). Many people within the queer community also disprove of bisexuality,
because, they claim, an individual who identifies as bisexual is in denial of their homosexual
nature, or, they are indulging in their homosexual desires but enjoying the benefits of identifying
as heterosexual in a heteronormative society (Gibson, 155).
While the LGBTQ course taught me much about diversities and the injustices inflicted by
a patriarchal, heteronormative culture, the entire process of learning has taught me the value of
education. I came into the class with some understanding of the LGBT cause (and some
knowledge of drag and otherwise queer terms, courtesy of RupaulÕs Drag Race), but learning
about the history of homosexuality and the means by which queerness is defined gave me a much
more clear perspective on the issue. I am one of the lucky few who have close friends who
identify as LGBT, allowing me to be open to identities other than heterosexual, and begin to
understand the fight for equality. Both the class and my own personal experiences have forged
an investment in the LGBT community. However, many people do not share my experiences,
and as a result, either become prejudiced against queer people or remain unaware of everyday
injustices. I can ultimately conclude that our culture needs serious education- both about the
workings and timeline of the queer movement. The main reason the FDA has not changed the
ban on gay men donating blood is because it faces no social pressure to do so- people simply
donÕt know about the ban (Darling). I feel that much prejudice towards queers also stems from a
lack of knowledge and a refusal to understand an identity outside of heterosexuality. I can only
hope that in the future, discrimination against LGBTQ individuals can be stopped by the
normalization of queer education.
Before Stonewall the Making of a Gay and Lesbian Community. Cinema Guild, 1985.
Darling, Mike. "Banned for Life: Why Gay Men Still Can't Donate Blood." NBC News. NBC, 14
July 2013. Web. 29 Nov. 2013.
F, Alex. "Dr. Who Actor John Barrowman Was Turned down for Will and Grace Because He
Was Too Straight, Even Though He's Gay." RSS. OMG Facts, 6 Oct. 2012. Web. 25 Nov.
Gibson, Michelle A. "Chapter 1. Before Identity: The Ancient World Through the 19th Century."
Finding Out. 2nd ed. N.p.: SAGE Publications, 2014. 4-5. Print.
Gibson, Michelle A. "Chapter 7. Queer Diversities." Finding Out. 2nd ed. N.p.: SAGE
Publications, 2014. 153-155. Print.
Gibson, Michelle A. "Chapter 10. Lesbian Pulp Novels and Gay Physique Pictorials." Finding
Out. 2nd ed. N.p.: SAGE Publications, 2014. 237-239. Print.
Screaming Queens: The Riot at Compton's Cafeteria. Dir. Susan Stryker. 2005. Videocassette.
Collette Munk 12/4/13