Submitted by Deke (not verified) on June 1, 2009 - 18:13.
Interesting essay. I've long thought that there is no such thing as safe sex; there is always an emotional component involved, and that makes sex 'unsafe', for want of a better word. Sex is a drive toward intimacy, not procreation. I do not agree that the lack of intimacy among gay men is a symptom of homophobia, internalized or otherwise. I believe it is a direct result of Stonewall, of the gay liberation movement in general. In those early days, much was made of "freedom to fuck". Hell, we've always been free to fuck; unless there truly were police in bedrooms back in the day, sodomy laws were strictly symbolic.
Activist (and generic doofus) Eric Rofes writes in 'Reviving the Tribe', "Gay liberation was ignited by a drive to free the erotic power between men. Activist pioneers were advocating not solely affection and 'domestic partnerships,' but the right to be fucked." Sadly, gay liberation has not truly evolved to encompass relationship. (One of my favorite quotes from 'Reviving the Tribe' relates another highlight of those early gay lib years, that they heralded " the discovery of vast, uncharted erotic zones (e.g., the nipple as sex organ)". Thank god those queens came along to discover nipples on men; clearly four million years of human sexual expression had forced tits into hiding.)
So what's really going on here? The celebration of lack of responsibility passed off as an act of community. Going to the baths and taking 27 cocks up yer ass is not a celebration of your sexuality; it is a celebration of your Teflon butthole.
Sure, it's easy, not to mention fun, to lay the blame on a homophobic society. But wouldn't be a helluva lot cooler, not to mention productive, if, while acknowledging the world is hell, we refrain from singling out ourselves for some kind of special hellish treatment, and take responsibility for our own actions? When liberation comes, when liberation truly comes, it means that not only will straight folks change the way they think about queer folks, but queer folks will change the way they think about themselves.
Keep writing, William. You've got a brain and you aren't afraid of it. That makes me happy.
Interesting essay. I've long
Interesting essay. I've long thought that there is no such thing as safe sex; there is always an emotional component involved, and that makes sex 'unsafe', for want of a better word. Sex is a drive toward intimacy, not procreation. I do not agree that the lack of intimacy among gay men is a symptom of homophobia, internalized or otherwise. I believe it is a direct result of Stonewall, of the gay liberation movement in general. In those early days, much was made of "freedom to fuck". Hell, we've always been free to fuck; unless there truly were police in bedrooms back in the day, sodomy laws were strictly symbolic.
Activist (and generic doofus) Eric Rofes writes in 'Reviving the Tribe', "Gay liberation was ignited by a drive to free the erotic power between men. Activist pioneers were advocating not solely affection and 'domestic partnerships,' but the right to be fucked." Sadly, gay liberation has not truly evolved to encompass relationship. (One of my favorite quotes from 'Reviving the Tribe' relates another highlight of those early gay lib years, that they heralded " the discovery of vast, uncharted erotic zones (e.g., the nipple as sex organ)". Thank god those queens came along to discover nipples on men; clearly four million years of human sexual expression had forced tits into hiding.)
So what's really going on here? The celebration of lack of responsibility passed off as an act of community. Going to the baths and taking 27 cocks up yer ass is not a celebration of your sexuality; it is a celebration of your Teflon butthole.
Sure, it's easy, not to mention fun, to lay the blame on a homophobic society. But wouldn't be a helluva lot cooler, not to mention productive, if, while acknowledging the world is hell, we refrain from singling out ourselves for some kind of special hellish treatment, and take responsibility for our own actions? When liberation comes, when liberation truly comes, it means that not only will straight folks change the way they think about queer folks, but queer folks will change the way they think about themselves.
Keep writing, William. You've got a brain and you aren't afraid of it. That makes me happy.