Gay Identity

Professor ……. Class…… 13 April 2013 “Gay Identity” Throughout the years, it is common to see groups stick together and unite around a common goal or idea. Strength in numbers is the basis behind it. This is similar to the idea of identity politics. Identity politics is a way of organizing together and staying intimately connected to the idea that some social groups are oppressed. There is a general consensus about things our society labels as Taboo. The sort of topics looked down upon range from prostitution to age of consent.

Most will agree that taboo issues are not morally correct or let say “Politically Correct. ” But there are some things that are taboo which need a little more thought before being put into that category. Gender bending has continuously been made into a horrible thing not to be mentioned unless it is the center of a joke. The three films assigned for the essay present the real life story of gay people who come together in one desperate act of self-fulfillment.

Therefore, specific behavior exhibited by this group show how their ethnicity (values, shared experiences, language) relates to their sexual identity and social class. The “silence” referred to throughout the three films is that gays (male or female), who are unable to express themselves because of the prejudices of the heterosexual society. First of all, trough out my essay I will discuss the main idea of the three films that were projected in class. Then, I will discuss meticulously the main point of all three movies.

To begin with, the three documentaries dealt with the instantaneously critique of the politics of racism, homophobia and segregation as they are tangled with contemporary sexual politics. All of them collectively explained gay identity and their communities. Each had a different situation, ‘Paris is Burning’ was drag queens, ‘Harvey Milk’ was a gay politician, and ‘Tongues Untied’ was African American and gay. All of these documentaries showed communities within their own and forming some family where they built their home to live comfortably. Paris Is Burning” which depicts the ball culture of the late 1980s in New York City. A seminal exploration of the Ball competitions this film portrays the transgendered community many of whom are also members of ethnic minorities. “Paris Is Burning” provides a powerful portrait of a marginalized social group whose elaborate drag competitions specialized presentational traditions and heightened vocabulary allowed participants to become close-knit members of a distinct subculture. The film highlights their efforts to redefine their individual identity, sexuality and social class.

For instance, many of the drag queens featured in this film have been abandoned by their families because they are homosexuals. To resolve this, this subgroup has formed its own families, or “houses,” as they are referenced to in the movie. Each house has a mother and a father. While these are not literal houses, it is a small community that offers support to its members. Family members assist each other with ball competitions, stealing, and encouraging each other when times are tough. This subculture is very similar to mainstream culture. Both groups of people have a longing to be accepted.

Both groups put a huge emphasis on how stylish a person is. The big difference is that the drag queen subculture is daring to be different to be who they want to be and fit in with whom they want to fit in. “Tongues Untied” is a profound movie for its expressive manner, which covers the identity of various black men’s lives, many of them being gay. Yet, through their stories and experiences one gains a sympathetic perspective on how entrapping such a life can be, almost like that of a dead end. A promising example of such an analogy can be seen by one man’s story in the film.

This man was a young school boy in the south on the verge of discovering himself sexually. Though countless students and peers were critical of his status and bullied him frequently, throwing cusses such as “faggot” and “black coon” at him every so often. With this in mind, he found the white kids hating him because of his race and sexual preferences, and black kids hating him because of the way he went along with his life obtaining good grades and acting submissively towards the whites, made others repulsed by the sight of him.

I think one crucial line recited in the film that pertains to the previous statement was “It is I that crucifies myself in you” said by the same black man who raises the white flag on himself rather than try to tackle the white universe, that he sees as domineering. The rest of the film is still quite powerful and humorous at certain times, the exaggerated fingering snapping that other’s stereotype blacks for engaging in, was constantly reinforced in one segment to highlight the matter.

Even though it was funny, my belief still gravitates towards the matter being an issue of gay black oppression, in which from there it loses its comedic power. One of my favorite scenes that started off the movie, was when a black man was hesitatively calling a gay phone sex service in the comfort of his living room. Thus, establishing the challenge to be comfortable with himself, and in my perspective I think it asks for the audience to do the same, to embrace this moment and look at it with vigor is to start understanding part of the gay black community on a personal level.

Gus Van Sant’s exceptional documentary, Milk (Gus Van Sant, 2008) depicts the story of Harvey Milk, the slain gay-rights activist who became the first openly gay man elected to any substantial political office in the history of the planet. Harvey Milk’s life changed history – his courage still motivates people today, his ideals still teach people today and his hope still inspire people today. The release of Milk in 2008 has helped to bring back a new sense of appreciation for the hope and passion that Harvey Milk died for.

Milk beautifully shows the fights and struggles Harvey Milk had to go through to gain the trust of the people and in order for his ideologies of a brighter tomorrow for all queer people to be fully appreciated by everyone. Harvey Milk was an individual who did not die in vain; his efforts in fighting for gay rights left a lasting impact on the people of this planet and his hope still lives on to this day. In Milk we see that Harvey’s main arsenal in his fight for equality was that he rejected secrecy and shame in favor of openness and visibility.

He insisted that the fight against homophobia begins with the act of coming out – “If they know us, they don’t vote against us”. Harvey Milk realized this earlier than many of his contemporaries. He understood that in order to gain true equality gays and lesbians should serve as their own civil advocated instead of merely relying on pacts and promises made with their straight allies in high and powerful places. Though he was seen as a radical at the time, in retrospect Harvey Milk is an optimist, an idealist, a true believer in the possibilities of

American democracy. The story and context of Milk, and of the times in which Harvey Milk lived and led, make clear the continuation of this struggle we still find ourselves in. As soon as you lose a battle, another one looms before, giving you another opportunity to try to win. You win a battle, and before you can catch your breath, another struggle is on the horizon. We fall down only to pick ourselves back up again. Nothing about progress allows for much in the way of rest, but nor does it allow for much to remain stagnant.

To resume, in all these three documentaries it shows that Silence is the deadliest weapon because imagine being someone you are not to the whole world for the rest of your life. All the documentaries, ‘Harvey Milk’, ‘Paris Is Burning’, and ‘Tongues Untied’ were similar of how their silence and their fight were very painful and something all the Trans gender cultures were like. Weather you were black and gay, white and gay, trans, etc. it didn’t matter, you weren’t white and straight so instantly you cannot be yourself or else you won’t be well off in life.

That is what all of them believed and that’s how it really was unfortunately. You are born someone you cannot show off. Despite no visible differences such as those of ethnicity and race, homosexuals and bisexuals are still commonly defined as “other” in our society. Based solely on their sexual orientation, gays, lesbians, and bisexuals are continually targeted by intolerance, ignorance, and segregation because of their role as an “other” in the dominant culture. This “otherness” is a departure in characteristics and behavior from the range expressed as the local, safe norm.

It causes intense concern and an attempt at comprehension. From this, the mind either quickly moves to apprehension, misunderstanding, and fear, or to repulsion and hatred. Although, the dominant group’s mindset still exists today, the situation is gradually improving through pro-gay legislation and continually more liberal views pertaining to sexuality. Moreover, sometimes in life it takes a large person to stand up and discuss their views as shown throughout the documentaries and standpoints on things.

The people who take a stand and fight for gay rights should be applauded. Times are changing, and the world is opening their eyes to a great deal of things. Every person leads a unique life, who are we to say who they can and cannot marry? This country was founded on freedoms and it’s about time the people take advantage of what they were given. All in all, the entire theory of these tree marvelous movies is that we are not individuals. We each carry the viewpoints of our group awareness, and social roles and loyalties are defined by race and gender.

You could say it’s a black thing, or it’s a female thing. A white male wouldn’t understand. Is this fair? Not really. In writing this essay, I have been challenged to look beyond the label of a particular group of people. I have given serious thought to the way that I categorize others, and not just as a female, but as a human being. We all deserve to be treated with respect, no matter our skin color, or religion, the language we speak, or the clothes we wear.

Works Cited Ebert, Roger. “Paris Is Burning. ” Rev. of Movie. Rogerebert. com. 9 Aug. 1991. Web. 10 Mar. 2010. “Identity Politics”. Colleen Butler-Sweet. University of Connecticut, Storrs. September 1, 2010. Milk, 2008. Film. Directed by Gus Van SANT. USA: Focus Features “Documentary Film” Documentary film From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia10 2012. <http://www. studymode. com/essays/Documentary-Film-1119525. html>. http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=uDWS_UXlhs4