Divisive or Constructive?

I didn't expect my recent blog, "We need a Harvey Milk not a Panti Bar", to cause such a stir, though after re-reading the last line of my previous blog, "Stiring a man's blood and my 20 year plan", maybe my sub-conscious took over and caused the stir I was talking about.

Some of the comments that have been thrown at me, or blog, depending on your viewpoint, have been, that perhaps I'm a "self loathing homosexual" or even that I have a" 'thing' about Drag which stems from personal issues regarding sexuality",others felt that I didn't appreciate drag as an art form. Let me reassure you that

• I am not a self loathing homosexual.
• That I don't have a thing about drag which stems from personal issues regarding sexuality.
• And I do appreciate drag as an art form.

Other readers felt that my piece was divisive, while some felt that it was constructive. To clear up this matter, I can tell you that I was giving my opinion in what I feel was in a constructive manner. I stand by everything that I wrote and after all it’s only my opinion. We need to remove our personal bias or allegiances and be strategic in delivering our message to those who we need to hear it.

Now with that set to the side, I'm urging you all, under whichever banner you feel you belong,GLEN, Marriage Equality, LGBT Noise or just plain old you, to attend this event on 9th August, meeting City Hall , 1.30pm, More info is on this short you tube video.

See you there!

We need a Harvey Milk - Not a Panti Bar!

Gee bag, slut, whore! Just some of the words used by the "A gays" and the "regular" gays to respond to both of the Brenda Power articles in the Sunday Times. Well guys and gals I think we shot ourselves in the foot with those long thought out articulate responses!

Now let me set the record straight. I think Panti is a great drag artist and entertainer and I think that Brenda Power makes some valid points in her column.

I do disagree with Brenda's opinions regarding marriage, children, and the role of gay pride; I do recognise she has made a few sideways swipes at the LGBT community, however not once did she call us gee bags, sluts or whores, or some of the more regular insults we're used to, faggots, perverts, fudge-packers, dyke's, chicks with dicks; you get the picture.

The gay community need to get an important message across to the rest of society, especially to those that are complacent and / or conservative regarding their views on gay equality and marriage. Do we really want a man dressed as a woman being the public figure for this extremely important argument? I for one don't! I want a representative that is palatable to those who may question my relationship, who may have doubts that gay people can be in love, make a commitment and have a contributing role to play in society. What I certainly don't want people to be thinking is, "Is that a fella or a woman?", "Look at the state of yer man wearing a dress" or "oh I wonder where she got that little number from?".

I want a spokesperson who can relate to the mainstream. I want a spokesperson who can get the message across without the fact that they are wearing a dress or, if they they should be addressed as "he" or "she", distracting from the important and crucial points that need to be made. We need to build relationships with our neighbours, our detesters and our elected representatives not focus their minds on something else or alienate them further.

So the challenge here is for the LGBT community to get together and choose one or two figures who will represent our views, concerns and aspirations to the public, someone who will get the message across without any distractions? Who will unite us in our struggle for equality and who has the capability to identify with those who disagree with us.

Both Brenda and the LGBT community might learn some lessons from Harvey Milk "It takes no compromising to give people their rights. It takes no money to respect the individual."

We are not asking our fellow citizens to compromise but to give us absolute equality with them and when asking for this equality we need to respect the opinions of each individual within our democracy who may disagree with us. Responding to a newspaper column by calling someone a gee bag, slut or a whore promotes a lack of respect and understanding, something the gay community has been struggling for, for years.

*****

Definition

"A Gay" members of the gay community who see themselves at the top of the pecking order within their community and of which mere regular gays should aspire to become a member off. (Definition given to me by an "A gay")