“The world has moved on yet again, historical traumas are the stuff of Oscar contention, a page has been turned. “No labels” is the fashion statement of kids belonging to Gay-Straight Alliances in high schools across America. And as gay life has moved from boho elitism to near bourgeoisie respectability—who cares more about marriage and religion?—the challenge of living life in a bigger world resounds. A perk of the choices of [Jasper] Johns and [Robert] Rauschenberg (and Sontag, and others) was their chance to be players in the larger world rather than put in a box and dismissed. “I’m obsessed these days, too, by Sartre and Beauvoir,” says Vezzoli of his admiration for such partnered geniuses.
With all the post-gay complications of civil unions, wedding portraits in the Times, Daddy Mommies, surrogate eggs and sperm, and all-male baby showers, maybe we’re winding back to a time when nuance is acceptable again. Even Jonathan Katz now stresses the subtle humor of Johns and Rauschenberg: “They were closeted, but their closet had a screen door.”— English professor and author of the upcoming “Flannery: A Life of Flannery O’Connor” on ‘The Art of Gay Cool’ as espoused by not-so-openly-gay artists (and ‘boyfriends’) Jasper John and Robert Rauschenberg.
Darth Paul
He’s right. We’re running into what the black community did in the 80s when the “colorblind” mentality started to become the stated, popular public attitude towards race. This mentality leads the non-minority figure to think that discrimination no longer exists (or, at least, is totally minor) and that the defining differences of the minority are no longer relevant or meaningful, which are completely false assumptions that breed major contempt.
[This is also why I say imitating straights is so shallow and pointless: we’re NOT the same. If we continue to pretend we are, we’re dooming queerness to a marketing niche and nothing more.]
blake
“Post-gay” is the stupidest term. What the hell does it mean? I first recall reading the term in “Out” magazine several years ago. It seemed ridiculous then and it still does.
How anyone could think that homophobia or racism aren’t still major factors in our society shows the desire for utopian fantasy and the power of cynicism are alive and well.
The Gay Numbers
I really love Flannery O’Connor’s short stories (I got the collected works). I’ll checkout the book.
alex
I’d like to know what queerness is? Are all gay men univerally the same? Should we all conform to what a few “queer pundits” vision of us is? Wouldn’t that be the same as the social tyranny that is imposed on straight suburbia? I have been out for half of my life to parents, co-workers(in a straight male dominated field), aquaintances etc… and I have realized that there are things that I have more in common with some straight guys and other things that I have more in common with some gay men. Is it perhaps possible that the commonality lies more with the individual than the with sexual orientation in certain circumstances? Is it such a bad thing to look towards a future when young gay men aren’t forced to focus so much energy on their sexual orientation which is such a minor part of who we are as individuals? There is still a lot of discrimation and bias and we need to keep fighting for justice and equality under the law but I don’t think that keeping a narrow view of who we are is a necessary evil in that fight. The more people that are comfortable in their own skin and are unappologetic for who they are as people the less things like sexual orientation will matter.
TANK
Gooch? LMAO!
Anyways, Johns and Rauschenberg were terribly homophobic and closeted…not much at all to do with their distaste of labels, but the closet. Screen door? Well, later on…after they were established. They were unforgivably awful to Andy for no other reason than he was effeminate and associating with him cast aspersions on their own “heterosexuality”.
Post gay, huh? Well, maybe that’s the trend…but…we lose too often for that to be a reality.
TANK
Crikey, I read the whole thing… How opaque and self conscious it was. I regret commenting at all.