Word: gayness
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...average disobedient kid. Despite repeated promptings from his elementary-school teacher, the young boy refused to say the Pledge of Allegiance in class on the grounds that the U.S. fails to live up to its promise of “liberty and justice for all” by barring gays and lesbians from marrying. In an interview with CNN, Phillips stated that he thought that “[gay people] should have the rights all people should” and that he was “not going to swear that they...
...year-old—or anyone, for that matter—especially in the face of criticism from his teacher and his peers. Phillips claimed that other students at his school reacted negatively toward his behavior, hurling derisive epithets at him for bringing up the issue of gay rights. He acted all the more admirably by standing up for his beliefs in the face of opposition and prejudice...
...notion of “coming out,” as it’s currently conceived, developed shortly after the Stonewall riots of 1969. Michael Fader, who witnessed the rebellion, later described it as a turning point in the history of the gay and lesbian community: “There was something in the air, freedom a long time overdue, and we’re going to fight for it. It took different forms, but the bottom line was, we weren’t going to go away. And we didn’t.” The violent...
...process of coming out carries with it its own series of stifling implications. First, it places a burden on all of us to categorize our sexual identity instead of giving it free rein, demanding that we label ourselves as gay, straight, or bisexual instead of openly and honestly coming to terms with our desires over a lifetime of sexual maturation. The view of sexuality as a ternary, rather than a spectrum, is enforced by a taxonomic, unsubtle paradigm. The pressure is particularly overbearing when one is expected to come out at a young age. With the passage of every National...
...become a highly ritualized process, an often-traumatic coming-of-age requirement for all those who deviate from arbitrary societal norms for sexual behavior. Rather than demanding, as glbtq, Inc. seems to, that people partake in this ritual in order to be true activists for issues important to the gay community, the process of coming out should be reserved for those who truly deem the act empowering. We should encourage individuals who don’t feel this way to simply be, without feeling obligated to make grand proclamations to their friends and family. More importantly, society must present...