Opinions on LGBT activism

tendofan

During the "UCD- nice place to be gay" thread, Skanger made the point that equality is achieved only when a person's sexuality is made utterly irrelevant - though I believe the quote was less prosaic, and I'd extend it to cover race, creed and whatever discriminant-du-jour you're having yourself.

Maybe this is internalised homophobia on my part, but "positive space" stickers and such like wind me up no end and strengthen my resolve to have nothing but the most tangental dealings with the LBGT organisations.

While I can see that events such as "coming out week" are intended to highlight LBGT issues to the broader community and also to make gay people more comfortable with themselves I believe that the manner in which these events are often organised fails to emphasise the essential ordinariness of our lives in favour of a focus on our sexualities that contradicts the demand that sexuality not be used to define a person.

While I cannot quote studies to prove it, and only have anecdotal (and therefore invalid) evidence for it, I would suspect that a not-insignificant number of LGBT people are driven further into the closet by the "in-your-face", shrill and really quite insecure carry-on of LGBT organisations, particularly in colleges and universities.

That said, I'm supportive of organisations lobbying for political changes to ensure equality under the law regarding next-of-kin, propety rights etc.

So, may question is: I am wrong in my skepticism of LGBT organisations? Do they really have their own irrelevance as their goal, or are they helping to maintain the status quo in some way?

Tendofan
Westlife are proof of the non-existence of God.

ixoy

Originally posted by tendofan
I believe that the manner in which these events are often organised fails to emphasise the essential ordinariness of our lives in favour of a focus on our sexualities that contradicts the demand that sexuality not be used to define a person.

Precisely. I meant the cry of "We're queer, we're here" to be met with "I don't CARE". So you're gay... so what? Et cetera. I've seen too many of these people define themselves solely by their sexuality, making it the dominant driving force of their personality, moulding their whole life and lifestyle to it and slavishly adhering to particular ideals of what you and I should all consider to be gay.

While I cannot quote studies to prove it, and only have anecdotal (and therefore invalid) evidence for it, I would suspect that a not-insignificant number of LGBT people are driven further into the closet by the "in-your-face", shrill and really quite insecure carry-on of LGBT organisations, particularly in colleges and universities.

Well I can state flatly, right here, that the LGBT actions of a city centre third level university which has a Kellish book in it, quite probably helped tighten the lock on my closet door when I joined college with their "in your face" attitude to being gay. The poster, if I remember correctly, had the tagline of "Shock your family and friends! Join the LGB society!" This sort of blatant "shock" tactic seriously rubbed me the wrong way because it was hardly the sort of support group that it should be, if it's using such an aggressive marketing tactic. Now I'm sure the committee of today is better, but that attitude is endemnic of what has gotten people riled about the UCD campaign.

Like tendofan, I fully believe in securing equal rights, I just also feel that some of the third level institutions have gone about their own agenda in a poor fashion and only ended up driving a greater wedge where they should be trying to discourage disparity. For what it's worth, any of my hetro-sexual alligned friends have learnt what they know of gay life from knowing myself and other gay people, never from the activist causes...

GuanYin

I don't know, I think the UCD thing got way out of hand, but I think the LGB soc there basically did themselves no favours. I've a rumour that some members of the society, passed offices with no stickers in a certain faculty and knocked on the lecturers door to ask why.

Now, it just seems to me that the "with us or against us" attitude is not the way to gaim anonymous acceptance in society. What people need to be shown is that heterosexuala and homosexual people are at the end of the day, just people. Bully tactics & shock stunts aren'tthe way to convince people of this. Its ironic that this last stunted reeked off pressurising people to conform to the LGB socs idea of PC virtues.

I said it before, awareness is a good policy, but so too is showing people that there is no difference bar superficial between any group really, jumping down peoples thoats when they refuse to play ball doesn't convey this.

boomdogman

I always get the impression that for some gay pbeing gay is their entire life, they see it as making them special and a living political campaign.
I know a man who was openly gay, in the 80's, as captain of his counties Gaelic Football team. He never campaigned or stuck stickers but he did more by just being himself than an army of campaigners.

dictatorcat

i agree. An in your face attitude is uncomefortable regardless of the cause as it only serves to polarize the issue. When applied by LGB soc's it maddens me as it helps to reinforce the sterotype. I also agree that true acceptance is when no one cares we're gay, however to reach that point is a battle and the LGB soc's are an important weapon, however the way in which they plan their campaigns often mean we're caught in the friendly fire.

Atreides

The sexual over tones in some of the LGB posters in trinity is quite funny, I'm mean the last one I saw was along the lines of "want to meet over like minded gay men, join LGB" sounded more like a dating Society. It's sad in a way, because I've a friend who is quiet confused about his sexuality, keeps on getting hit on by men in bars, and its really effecting him, the LGB soc should be where he could go to find out more about his problem, but alas its just sound like a cliquey place full of sexual predators.

qwertyphobia

Lgb fourm

There's a lot of very valid points being raised here and I think it's usefull to look at where the motivation for some of the actions you are talking about comes from.

There is still a lot of homophobia in society. That effects everyone it's probably impossible not to internalise some of it while we are growing up.

We tend to react to things rather then respond. The students you are talking about are to a large extent reacting to the internal process of trowing off this internalised homophobia and to the very real homophobia that exists in our society. That may cause a bit of over drama at times but I don't think thats any big deal in the grander sceme of things.

On the other side of things I am glad someone has already raised the topic of wheather our own internalised homophobia is effecting our judgement of these actions and I think that is a real possibility. The idea that if we just empasies our ordinariness that we will fit in I think is false I think for two reasons

1. It may work if we where on a level playing field but we are not, we are a small minority and always will be, and one which with the nature of being born into straight families we are a minority which is disconected from its past (maybe why the student activists are doing the same ineffective stuff that was being done 10 years ago)

2. and this is very important some of us are not very ordinary and it will take a very big shiff in society for it to start viewing us as ordinary. If we can only get exceptence for the ordinary looking/acting queers then frankly what we are being offered is not equality.

Just some ideas and views to throw into the pot rather then answers

alex122

Originally posted by Skanger
The sexual over tones in some of the LGB posters in trinity is quite funny, I'm mean the last one I saw was along the lines of "want to meet over like minded gay men, join LGB" sounded more like a dating Society. It's sad in a way, because I've a friend who is quiet confused about his sexuality, keeps on getting hit on by men in bars, and its really effecting him, the LGB soc should be where he could go to find out more about his problem, but alas its just sound like a cliquey place full of sexual predators.

lol...

times sure have changed because I haven't seen that slogan used in a long time. On our website (www.trinitylgb.org) in the New Memebers section he explains to people that we are not a dating society but instead a safe space for LGBT students

AX

Yoda

Activism? I have been endeavouring to encourage the discussion of partnership rights and marriage on this forum and on Humanities, particularly here and here.

Whether this discussion spurs anyone on Boards to do anything about it I don't know. For my part, I have written to a number of government bodies and officials asking questions about what is being done about it.

I am not sure what else one could do, apart from applying for a marriage licence and filing a discrimination suit when it is rejected.

yellum

Actually what Activism is about for LGB issues in Ireland ? Is there any national group to represent lgb issues ?

Should there be ?

Theres Johnny for Dublin but what around the country ?