Greetings folks, Just saw a documentary called The Out List, by filmmaker Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, about prominent LGBT Americans and what they are currently thinking, about this community and about their personal experiences. One of these; Jake Shears of the "gay band" Scissor Sisters, struck me as hitting the proverbial nail quite precisely on the head, when he said: "Being on the outside gives you an incredible perspective and changes you as a person and makes you have different ideas about what you see...I wouldn't give that up for the world." As more of us come out, as more of us become who we are, it has been often observed that there is a period of mourning for being cast away from the norm, for losing the privilege of normalcy. Jews have understood this for a long time; this outsiderness, and so it is for those who accept who they are, whatever the label, and come to be in a place apart. But what Shears has to say is really an ambivalence about "assimilating" into the norm, yes, he is happy that LGBT folk are making tremendous gains toward acceptance in the wider community, but he feels that those "incredible perspectives" and "different ideas", coming from the outsider's point of view, may be lost in the process. Personally, I don't think there is any danger of losing these precious things any time soon; it is the fate of minorities to build their own cultures and distinct languages; I don't think this will change for the LGBT community; simply because we will always be a minority and someone will always object to our existence. Do you agree? As we become more (but never totally) mainstream, is there really a danger of losing the "incredible perspective" that Shears talks about?
Interesting thoughts! I suppose there is a possibility that as LGBT acceptance grows that we'll lose perspective from the views of being outsiders. But not everyone will face this fate. Let's face it: a lot of intellectual and creative types, regardless of orientation, end up as outsiders. I don't see that changing any time soon. Not with the dumbing down that is taking place in at least America.
I don't think we will ever lose who we are as a community, but being thought of as normal is what we want don't we? I don't define who I am, and how I act based on my sexuality, so there isn't a distinct culture being lost for me, I would be the same person. We need to stop defining people by sexuality and more by who they actually are, and act like.
I wonder whether we'd really lose our "incredible perspective" (whatever that may be) or not. I don't have as much experience living in Montreal as you do as I live in the West Island area, but would you say that the various cultures present in Montreal have lost their "incredible perspective"? I'll have to check out that documentary you mentioned, seems interesting.
That perspective, whether incredible or not, is definitely there for groups that are outsiders, and specifically outsiders that are vilified by so many. It's the paradox that's interesting. When accepting who we are, by no longer being estranged from ourselves we become estranged from "normalcy". I believe that perspective has helped Jews become pioneers in so many fields because they weren't constrained by mainstream or conventional beliefs. Einstein is just one example of many. So it is with the LGBT community; so many in the arts or at the cutting edge of design, literature, etc. In that sense, the outsider's perspective is the one that says, fuck you, I don't believe that's true and I will find my own truth.
I think, as long as there is some form of homophobia within society, we will always be the outsiders. But yes, I've definitely gained a clearer picture of society as a whole, and the closer people around me, because I view myself as different. Especially based on things concerning heterosexuality. I think because I accept myself as different, and I embrace that difference, I think it gives me a power. Partially a power against negative comments, because I know there is nothing 'wrong' with me, but also to view society and perhaps help evolve society because I'm not 'in the thick of it' as part of the norm. I don't see myself as normal, but I view that as a positive thing. At least I'll have something interesting to say at school reunions right? I think the programme (which I would love to watch, but it's in America), proves in it's self that we are outsiders, but a group of outsiders who as you said, says 'fuck off' to normalcy. I think, even though we are a minority, and outsiders, that proves we have a power I think mainstream society can never have.
I tend not to believe that being gay is in itself the trigger that gives someone an incredible outsiders point of view, nor do I believe that through becoming acceptable the ability of individuals within the LGBTQ+ community to achieve the perspective talked about by Shears will be diminished. That ability comes not from being an outsider due to sexuality, but through being naturally inclined to viewing the world in a different way. I'm sure there are some who require that feeling of being an outsider, of being a minority, in order to achieve various perspectives, but that is a strange concept for me. You either think outside the box, or you don't. Everyone has the potential to do that, but not everyone can do it without a mask that allows them to express that potential. Besides, perspectives are only incredible and different up until the point they've been adopted by the majority. What was once viewed as an incredibly strange perspective becomes rather normal, and the cycle continues. When one group is assimilated, another takes their place.
^Excellent insight! Indeed what comes first? An openness to think outside the box, and by this openness be open also to the possibility of being gay? Or does being gay in itself promote a more independent point of view?
I'm not the original poster, but personally I think it's a mixture of both. I think there has to be a level of acceptance and openness to recognise your feelings as being gay. I think without that openness and acceptance, there is very little insight you can gain into yourself and wider society. Yet also, I think to a lesser extent, the opposite matters. I think mild homophobia and the label of being 'different' causes a differing view on society. Whether or not it is more independent or not can be debated. I definitely learnt to rely less on others opinions on me when I realised because I knew they could very well be negative.
