Here's something to discuss
Laura Freeman
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How do you feel about public figures announcing that they are gay?
OK, let's take Rock Hudson as an example: Should he tell the world
that he is gay?
Does he have a "duty" to do so?
What good does it do?
When is a good time to announce it? At the height of popularity?
When he doesn't want/need to act anymore? When he has "enough"
money? Never?
The magazines are saying that everyone in Hollywood knew Rock was
gay. Yet, he still got jobs. Does this mean he wasn't discriminated
against? (!) Suppose he had gone public. Would the roles have dried
up then?
People seem to be sorry for him now. Does that mean it's ok to be
gay if you're "paying for it"? (The bitter attitude?)
Or is it really his own business and everyone should just shut up
about it? Am I invading his privacy by asking you these questions?
Well?
When I first heard about it, I thought, "Oh, he could have done so much
good by going public. He could've helped public understanding enor-
mously." This is the theory that it's harder to hate a group if you
admire a member of that goup. But, lately I've been thinking,"Well,
why should he open himself up to all these tabloid articles if he
really doesn't have to?" Last night at the market, I saw a headline
on one of those things, 'THE MAN WHO LED ROCK ASTRAY.' Uugghh!!
So what do YOU think?
(If I get attacked for this article, you'll know why we read-onlys
don't post articles!
Andrew Shore
was sad in part because AIDS is a terrifying, heartbreaking
illness. I was sad that Rock felt he had to live his life the
way he did. At first, I was angry that he hadn't come out years
ago. Then I realized that had he done so, he would not have
been able to land another job. Rock was almost always cast as a
romantic leading man. What kind of producer or director would
cast an openly known homosexual in those kinds of roles? I'd
understand it -- I'd probably go to see those movies BECAUSE of
the casting -- but most of middle America, most advertisers,
etc., simply could not accept it. If Rock had come out in
Hollywood, he would never have worked again. What kind of role
model would that provide? The message "you come out and you're
doomed" wouldn't exactly help public understanding. It would
fuel the fires of the bigots in terms of work discrimination
and blackmail arguments.
Word has it that Rock's homosexuality was more or less generally
known in Hollywood -- that it was just something people knew and
didn't talk about. I guess I can understand that "you don't
rock the boat and we'll keep you along for the ride" attitude.
I'm certain that he is not the only homosexual in show biz. I'm
also certain that many people in the business have something
personal that they'd just as soon not let the public know about.
I remember a Baba Wawa interview with Harvey Fierstein (sp?) the
Tony-award-winning author-actor of "Torch Song Trilogy" and the
writer of the book for the musical "La Cage aux Folles". He is
probably the most well know (the only?), openly gay figure in
the theater today. Baba made some comment that 10 years ago,
she could not have done an interview like that -- talking openly
to a gay man on prime time TV about his life and his work. He
said something along the lines of the following:
Isn't it absurd all this attention I'm getting.
You know and I know that I'm not the first gay
actor on Broadway, I'm not the first gay writer,
I'm not the first gay anything. Gay people have
been involved in every aspect of the theater
since its inception, and some of the most well-
known figures in the American theater have been gay.
He was right of course. All of the secrecy is ridiculous, but
there is a problem of acceptance to be dealt with. There is a
saying: "You can tell the pioneers by the arrows in their
backs." I think that would have gone (may still go) for the
first crop of people in the entertainment industry who deal
openly with their homosexuality. I don't think that America is
ready to handle it.
While I think that the initial news about Hudson was not handled
very well. [The initial press releases that he was (1)
recovering from the flu, then (2) had liver cancer.] I do think
that some good may come of this horrible happening. Now all
America knows someone with AIDS. Now the president knows
someone with AIDS. [I have heard that Reagen has never spoken
about AIDS in public.] This could have a major effect on public
awareness and government assistance. It did make new cover
stories in both Time and Newsweek, for example. I think it is
vital that the public understand what AIDS does and does not
represent. It represents an extremely serious health crisis for
this country. The final costs for treating and (hopefully)
curing and preventing AIDS will be astronomical. AIDS WILL
spread into the heterosexual community in greater numbers. It
WILL NOT be spread through casual contact, through the
workplace, etc. I hope that the Hudson disclosure helps to
bring these issues home to the rest of America. What will
happen when the next five public figures are diagnosed and die?
--Andy
dgr...@ucla-cs.uucp
Laura Freeman raised some questions about when it's appropriate to come out
publically. While this will hardly answer the questions, I thought you might
find it related. Since coming out in the press, and everywhere else (sometimes
you feel like you're on a high speed rollercoaster), I've observed several
patterns.
1. Don't come out all over the place until you've got some support. Parents
and the public can be awfully ugly. It certainly helps if you have close
friends to help you get through rough times. I owe my sanity to my ex, and
to a few close friends.
2. Don't be surprised, when you come out publically, that closeted gays avoid
you. They're closeted. Being seen with you can be a big threat to their
closet. But it's no loss. Closeted people are known for stabbing other
gays in the back. You don't really want them around if you're a public
figure.
3. Do come out. Early and often. People (even straight gay-haters) have to
respect you for your honesty. Believe it or not, I attribute my fairly
positive press (crossing my fingers) to being honest and forthright with
reporters. They love it.
4. Be proud of who you are. Tell people you are gay all the time. If you
don't, they assume you are straight. It's so much easier if you correct
their misconceptions immediately. That way, when they find out later that
you're gay, they won't feel lied to.
5. Make the best press you can out of being gay. It seems wierd, but
the public is titillated by gay officials. Personally, gay politics
doesn't figure into my UC student president job, but I use it for all it's
worth in the press.
I literally had to TELL the UCLA Daily Bruin to mention my sexuality.
I told them I was gay a million times, but until the Berkeley scooped them
with a story titled "SBPC Elects Gay-Rights President," they said not a
peep. Push it. Sometimes you have to.
6. If you don't come out to your fellow workers, your family, and your
friends, you are abandoning your brothers and sisters. We must all pave
the way for younger gays and lesbians. Unless we come out, they will have
to tough it out like we did: with too many uninformed and prejudiced jerks
running around.
Besides, you know how good it is for your mental health. No more
sneaking around. No more contrived apologies for not taking a date to the
company party. No more fake image. Just you and the truth. It's really
quite a relief.
If you fear losing your security clearance, get another job. Honestly,
it's a short life. Why waste it unhappily afraid? Life is so much more
fun when you're unhampered by puritan baggage.
Now, here's the news:
PRESS RELEASE
GAY PRESIDENT TO REPRESENT 141,000 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA STUDENTS
At an August 3rd Sacramento meeting, student officials from 9 University of
California campuses elected a gay activist as their statewide student
president. Dan Greening, a UCLA doctoral student in computer science, now
coordinates the University of California Student Lobby, the 12th most powerful
lobby in California. He represents 141,000 University of California students
in Regents meetings, and in the California legislature. Greening also heads a
statewide committee of 18 student representatives.
In his new position, Greening will focus on student concerns like reducing
student fees and improving affirmative action programs. "Despite active
recruitment of minority undergraduate students, affirmative action currently
suffers three major problems," Greening said, "insufficient undergraduate
retention, declining graduate enrollment, and a gross failure to tenure
minority faculty." Greening feels new innovative programs can improve minority
representation.
Greening also works with several other organizations. In June, Greening
was elected co-chair of the United States Student Association lesbian/gay
caucus. He is helping the Municipal Elections Committee of Los Angeles, a gay
and lesbian PAC, to set up a computer database for direct mail campaigns.
"MECLA gives a lot of clout to the Los Angeles gay and lesbian vote," he
claimed.
As the University of California's first openly gay student president,
Greening feels he provides a visible role model. "I want to show the
average citizen that we make good leaders," he said, "I feel that's every gay
person's responsibility."
Dan Greening 213-206-8512
UC Student Lobby 916-442-3827