Is queer culture on the verge of death? The question may strike you as odd since millions of people have come out over the past few decade, and the numbers only increase over time. We have entered a time period where sexuality and gender are no longer binaristic, and new terms and identities are being created to allow freedom of self expression to take place. All these are signs that queer identity is blossoming and taking on new forms. After all religion doesn't dissipate when the number of followers expands, it only becomes more evident and vibrant.
So what's this talk about queer culture fading? Well unlike religion or political parties whereby more followers means more identity and power, the opposite is true with queer identity. Queer identity is built on the notion that we are different, and apart from the general public. The more people who join the queer "freak show" the less weird and alien it is to the general public and the easier it is for queers to assimilate. Assimilation is inevitable, the more people come out, equals the more normalized queer identity becomes, results in the less marginalized queer people become, and the result is less need for queer specific resources.
Is assimilation really a bad thing? It does come at the expense of some aspects of queer culture but many of the aspects being erased are ones of shame and exclusion...
"If there is a real choice between a culture built on oppression and a culture built on freedom, the decision is an easy one" - Andrew SullivanIs this the death of a culture, or is it the evolution of a movement? Do you see queer identity as growing or fading over the course of time, and do you view that in a positive, negative, or neutral light?
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7 comments:
It's not dead. It's just been appropriated by the breeders.
I dont know what the freaking problem is. Thanks God more people see us as normal. If you only consider youself to be gay not to be mainstream... poor you.
Queer identity is being redefined as the less vocal, non-activist, gays are being counted with our activist brothers and sisters. Queer culture has been strongly defined by the twenty percent of the LGBT community who've been out there the past forty years.
You could say, for better or worse, the culture is being "watered down" as more and more gays are 'out' while choosing, what to many, is a normal life. It's not that we shun the culture; it just doesn't speak to us.
I personally see the evolution as being good for gays and our causes. We have no need to continue the fight for our "culture" as the fight now is about gaining the rights.
I have black friends who have told me they've been called "too white" by their friends and family. I have to wonder if the same accusations will be made regarding how we act; "you're too straight!"
That said I am curious to see if we begin celebrating National Gay History month in twenty years.
Being less hated is not the same as being loved. And sure many gay people seem to be 'blending in' - but until leatherfolk, drag queens and polyamorous families are accepted we're still queer.
As long as many straight people are uncomfortable by the lyrics of Romanovsky & Phillips, don't want to hear as much about my sex life as they seem hell-bent on telling me about theirs, and think it's alright to treat our relationships as less we are still queer.
TV shows still use 'kinky sex' to hint that there's something 'unwholesome' about a character; even as younger actors start wanting to play a gay character to 'show off their talent'.
Anon - With metrosexuality it's really hard to tell who is gay and lesbian these days.
Vince - I think it's good that people see queer sexuality as normal, but some people feel a loss of the community as a result of it.
Thegriff - I see it was being watered down or evolving to keep up with the times as well. Things changes, communities change, I think this is natural.
Janet - The fight is for equality, but not necessarily for full assimilation and loss of our identity, I guess it depends who you ask.
Cerberus - I think Dykes on Bikes is supposed to be radical, feminist and a direct challenge to the culture, if the culture accepts the dyke persona I am not sure women will feel the need to have a special demo for dykes on bikes. I guess time will tell.
BGryphon - That's a good point, as gays and lesbians become more mainstream, groups like polyamorous people and leatherfolk, etc are also coming out of the closet, so in some sense queer visibility is changing and will take on new fronts and battles.
We are second class citizens under continuous attack by Evangelical & Fundamentalist kristyans who account for 25% of the population (according to Pew stats). We are still killed and beaten in public simply because we are us and the fight to give us legal recourse against it is actively fought against at the state level and barely made it through the federal level. We are 100 years from integration into heterosexual society. We don't share in straight culture and we do have our own which continues to evolve. This question is vapid and unrealistic. The development of Queer culture is a neccessity because we live in a world where straights oppress us.
Anonymous the oppression still continues but surely you see big changes? Who would have thought congress would have an LGBT caucus, and that highschools would have Gay-Straight Alliances only 10 years ago? The momentum is on our side.
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