Day Eighty Four

I saw a string of GIFS on Imgur today and it related well to what I talked about on Tuesday and what was in my lecture today (wow, today was a long day. I had to think about when that lecture actually was because it seemed so long ago when in reality it was about 13 hours ago.) I was going to post the GIF but then I found the full video. It could be considered a little bit... inappropriate... so, uh, be careful where and how loud you watch it.

Although this video was obviously made as a satire, it does bring up some real issues with sexuality and identity within society. I'll address them in the order they appear in the video.

1. The second he said "pastor" religion was automatically brought into play. Religion, specifically Christianity, has been and still is the most dominant force against homosexuality and any other "abnormal" sexualities in the United States. The pastor also is from Arkansas, a state currently tied with Nebraska as the most conservative state in the US. Religion and region definitely have an affect on this pastor's view of gay people.

2. To paraphrase, the reason being gay is "out this season" is because there are some people who find it appalling and disgusting. That's what our society has historically trained us to think of gay people and in many places, that's the prevailing opinion, just because that's what their religion or culture has been teaching.

3. When questioning the pastor about becoming straight, Bruno asks about transexual/transgender people and the pastor really has no idea how to answer that. I think that's because even though homosexuality is a hot topic in the media, no one really talks about transgendered people. Many just don't know how. Is it a he or a she or an it or what? That's a topic that hasn't really been openly addressed yet. Just a side note, while the pastor brings up a biological sex change, most people who are born one sex and identify with the other don't actually have an operation to change biological sexes.

4. Asking the pastor, "How many years have you been straight?" is like asking a gay guy, "How many years have you been gay?" I don't know why the pastor's so shocked at the question because it's probably a question he's probably asked many homosexuals during his work in "gay conversion therapy."

5. Being fabulous is a "nishnish"?! That doesn't even necessarily have anything to do with being gay. There are straight men who like to dress nice and get excited about decorating and things like that, but that's wrong because it's "effeminate"? This deals with gender roles and stereotypes, not something I'm going to get into now, but just saying, many of the things I do, by this guy's standards, would be considered "nishnish" because I'm not exactly the most feminine of ladies. This is just a reminder of how black and what gender roles are still for many people.

5. Towards the end of "achya" or "nishnish," when it got to the part about eating brunch with friends, that pastor showed how he's a main part of the problem of bigotry and ignorance towards homosexuals.  The fact that he made a distinction between a gay, seductive brunch and straight, Christian brunch made him sound like an idiot. Where are we, Arkansas during the 1960s? Do gays need to have separate brunch tables than straight people? Maybe their own separate section so they can't seduce any of the straight guys with their fabulousness? I mean, seriously. People tend to over-sexualize gays as well as other sexual minorities and that's a huge part of the problem. Gays are capable of having a totally platonic brunch and no, eating a lot of chocolate is not part of the gay lifestyle. I think it's the lonely girl lifestyle you're thinking of, pastor.