Today, I am inaugurating a new topic, “Gay P.C. Silliness.” Under this topic, we will blog on actions or statements where gay writers, activists or leaders make absurd comments in their pursuit of “gay rights” or in their consideration of the position of gays in contemporary society. Please feel free to e-mail us linking us to some of the silly comments you find. Perhaps, we will find some suitable way to honor the person who comes ups with the silliest case of gay political correctness.
The inaugural post on this topic is about a word heretofore unknown to me–heteronormative–which one web-site defines as “Those punitive rules (social, familial, and legal) that force us to conform to hegemonic, heterosexual standards for identity. The term is a short version of “normative heterosexuality.” So, amused was I by the story I relate below that I googled heterormative and came up with more than 35,000 hits.
Last week, I read on OpinionJournal’s Best of the Web about a group of gay students at Harvard upset that actress Jada Pinkett Smith made heteronormative comments, narrowly defining “the roles of men and women in relationships.” Apparently, “some of Pinkett Smith’s remarks concerning appropriate gender roles were specific to heterosexual relationships.” Oh no! A straight woman talking about heterosexual relationships!
Speaking at the Harvard’s Cultural Rhythms show last month (where she was honored as the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations’ “Artist of the Year”), this heterosexual woman and talented actress (one of the few good things about the second and third Matrix movies) said that this “new generation of women” could “have it all–a loving man, devoted husband, loving children, a fabulous career.” These remarks spurred Harvard’s Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Transgender, and Supporters Alliance (BGLTSA) to call “for an apology from the Foundation.”
Geez, getting upset because a heterosexual woman talked about her own successful career and good life. I thought gays were supposed to welcome diversity. I wonder what they would say were a conservative Christian group to complain that Andrew Sullivan returned to his graduate alma mater and made “homonormative” remarks, extolling the joys of gay relationships.
Given the above definition of heteronormative, it seems the gay students at Harvard overreacted. Mrs. Smith’s comments weren’t forcing gays and lesbians to “conform to hegemonic, heterosexual standards for identity.” She was just talking about her life (which happens to be a heterosexual one).
Christian Grantham hopes that these gay student leaders at Harvard are not “the next generation of gay activists.” Observing these shenanigans at Harvard, one blogger (Draxblog) bemoaned:
the sad fact that regardless of how hard you try not to be bigoted, un-diplomatic or insensitive, someone never fails to find good reason to be mortally offended by your words and actions.
Ace of Spades offers his opinion on this whole affair:
You really gotta read what the woman actually said. Basically, just a you-go-girl bit of fluff, but she made the big mistake of suggesting that women could have, should they desire such, husbands and babies as well as a career.
And you know — that’s practically hate speech now.
Yup, to the PC-folks on the gay left, a career woman’s celebration of heterosexual wedlock and children has practically become hate speech. I wonder what they’d say about the PatriotSisters-in-LawWest and other such women who have chosen to give up careers (outside the home) to devote themselves to their families.
No wonder I’m accused of self-hatred. I support my sisters-in-law for the choices they have made. Not only that. I cry at weddings, cry in good movies when the guy gets the girl and lose it every time when, at the beginning of “THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES,” Myrna Loy realizes that her beloved husband Frederic March has returned home from World War II. But, don’t worry, I did cry at the end of the wonderful documentary “RUTHIE AND CONNIE” where two old Jewish lesbians celebrate their love in a ceremony at their synagogue.
Let’s face it. There are some gay activists just looking for an excuse to get upset. And to complain how bad things are for gays and lesbians.
We live in a society where heterosexuality is normal. And that’s fine with me. Just as long as homosexuality is tolerated and we can live our lives freely and openly.
With this example of gay political correctness run amok as inspiration, I’m going to keep my eyes peeled for other such absurdities and encourage y’all to do so as well.
-Dan (AKA GayPatriotWest): GayPatriotWest@aol.com
i don’t want to live in a place where being gay is tolerable.
it should be seen as normal and the more people like Jada who make blanket statements like, “this new generation of women can have it all–a loving man, devoted husband, loving children, a fabulous career.” is pretty limiting. She wasn’t saying “Hey Everybody, I feel like I have it all.”
Language is really important in our culture and what words we choose to articulate ourselves makes a huge difference. Maybe I’m just tired of hearing everyone telling me I can have it all with a man, when that’s not what I want at all. It would be nice to hear something different once in a while and that I believe is the activist groups point. This world is ALL HETERO, ALL THE TIME and we never see or hear other perspectives and as queer people we should demand it more often.