Rachael Eyre's Blog - Posts Tagged "diversity"
Being Gay in Today's World
In the wake of the Orlando tragedy there have been many extraordinary occurrences. People across the globe, straight and LGBT alike, have shown a moving solidarity, holding vigil in gay spaces. Megalomaniac Republican candidate Donald Trump has missed the point as usual, humble bragging that the massacre "proves" his stance against Islam. The oddest, and to my mind, most disturbing development is the seeming denial that this was a homophobically motivated attack.
The worst culprit is Sky News, whose intransigence caused journalist Owen Jones to walk out of an interview in disgust, but this attitude is surfacing elsewhere in the press. Commentators are determined to overlook a few blatant clues, namely that gunman Omar Mateen went into a gay nightclub at 2am and opened fire in what was clearly a premeditated attack. He could have selected any location at any time of day, but instead he chose the busiest gay venue in the area at the weekend. You do the maths.
The cluelessness heterosexual people are displaying - they're unable to see why we feel threatened and upset - betrays the ignorance many have about LGBT matters. They seem to believe that because lip service has been paid towards equality in a handful of countries - marriage here, the right to adopt there - the battle has been won and to ask for anything else is whinging ingratitude.
Let's put the clock back a few years, shall we? I can't speak for other countries, but when the UK population was polled in 1987, 75% of respondents claimed that homosexuality was "nearly always" wrong, i.e. three quarters of British citizens. That's not a misty moment in the distant past but a mere twenty nine years ago.
Shortly afterwards Section 28, the most repulsive piece of legislation to grace the statute books, was drawn up. Brought in by Mrs Thatcher and her acolytes, it banned the 'promotion' of homosexuality, particularly in the context of a 'pretended family relationship'. Though this only ever applied to local councils, schools tended to err on the side of caution, afraid to counsel gay kids in case it violated the rules.
I finished school in 2003, the year it was repealed. During that fifteen years, anything went: you could be bullied mercilessly for your sexuality, your tormentors going unpunished. The teachers implicitly sided with them, suggesting your feelings were "just a phase" or that you should "try not being this way" (thanks, Yoda!) Homophobia was endemic inside and outside the classroom: "queer", "peculiar," "dyke," "lezza" and a million variations were bandied about on a daily basis. It didn't surprise me that dismal lesbian saga The Well of Loneliness was set in Malvern, spitting distance from my hometown.
Although I'm grateful I can marry my partner and we're protected under British law, that isn't the be all and end all of our hopes. We still run the risk of abuse or violence if we kiss or hold hands in public. There are still numerous countries where homosexuality is punishable by prison or death. Organised religion still has a "love the sinner, hate the sin" mandate. People still believe it's a choice or can be cured; I don't know which is more laughable.
People often say: why are you so preoccupied with LGBT issues? Why do you write about them? The fact they're still asking this question in 2016, without any sense of irony, is why I continue this lonely, demoralising and entirely necessary fight. When straight people say 'inclusion', what they actually mean, intentionally or not, is that any differences should disappear ("Why do you need gay bars?" "What's the point of Pride?") There's enough room for everybody, gay or straight, black or white, religious or atheist. Diversity should be celebrated, not erased.
The worst culprit is Sky News, whose intransigence caused journalist Owen Jones to walk out of an interview in disgust, but this attitude is surfacing elsewhere in the press. Commentators are determined to overlook a few blatant clues, namely that gunman Omar Mateen went into a gay nightclub at 2am and opened fire in what was clearly a premeditated attack. He could have selected any location at any time of day, but instead he chose the busiest gay venue in the area at the weekend. You do the maths.
The cluelessness heterosexual people are displaying - they're unable to see why we feel threatened and upset - betrays the ignorance many have about LGBT matters. They seem to believe that because lip service has been paid towards equality in a handful of countries - marriage here, the right to adopt there - the battle has been won and to ask for anything else is whinging ingratitude.
Let's put the clock back a few years, shall we? I can't speak for other countries, but when the UK population was polled in 1987, 75% of respondents claimed that homosexuality was "nearly always" wrong, i.e. three quarters of British citizens. That's not a misty moment in the distant past but a mere twenty nine years ago.
Shortly afterwards Section 28, the most repulsive piece of legislation to grace the statute books, was drawn up. Brought in by Mrs Thatcher and her acolytes, it banned the 'promotion' of homosexuality, particularly in the context of a 'pretended family relationship'. Though this only ever applied to local councils, schools tended to err on the side of caution, afraid to counsel gay kids in case it violated the rules.
I finished school in 2003, the year it was repealed. During that fifteen years, anything went: you could be bullied mercilessly for your sexuality, your tormentors going unpunished. The teachers implicitly sided with them, suggesting your feelings were "just a phase" or that you should "try not being this way" (thanks, Yoda!) Homophobia was endemic inside and outside the classroom: "queer", "peculiar," "dyke," "lezza" and a million variations were bandied about on a daily basis. It didn't surprise me that dismal lesbian saga The Well of Loneliness was set in Malvern, spitting distance from my hometown.
Although I'm grateful I can marry my partner and we're protected under British law, that isn't the be all and end all of our hopes. We still run the risk of abuse or violence if we kiss or hold hands in public. There are still numerous countries where homosexuality is punishable by prison or death. Organised religion still has a "love the sinner, hate the sin" mandate. People still believe it's a choice or can be cured; I don't know which is more laughable.
People often say: why are you so preoccupied with LGBT issues? Why do you write about them? The fact they're still asking this question in 2016, without any sense of irony, is why I continue this lonely, demoralising and entirely necessary fight. When straight people say 'inclusion', what they actually mean, intentionally or not, is that any differences should disappear ("Why do you need gay bars?" "What's the point of Pride?") There's enough room for everybody, gay or straight, black or white, religious or atheist. Diversity should be celebrated, not erased.
