"Gay" - oppressive or liberating.

[Christian Taylor]

Garrett's piece on the need for us to move beyond labels is an interesting one. (http://www.samesame.com.au/features/783/The_End_Of_Gay_Is_Nigh) According to his piece the gay rights movement has stalled, stuck in a groundhog day of pride marches and neighbourhood ghettos.

According to writer Bert Archer, the next evolution of the gay world is to actually rid ourselves of the 'gay/straight' categories altogether. However, is it possible for any of us to live outside of categories in today's world?

It begs the question - is the term 'gay' liberating or oppressive?

[hazyinseptember]

the problem is not that the word gay is oppressive..

the problem is what the word gay is becoming.. clean, suburban and homogenised..

[Christian Taylor]

i agree hazy - i guess gay encompassed a bit more of a unified experience once, but now it represents a wider spectrum. i guess it depends on where you stand and what you want. we're at a standstill at the moment because we've adopted a very passive approach. we've asked for something that we're unlikely to get, and it seems we're just going to surrender a lot of other things and play by others' rules in the hope that that's the way to get it... i suppose it all comes down to where you put your sexuality in your life - it can inform who you are, but it needn't be limiting. although i've seen a lot of cases where people came out and then just stopped evolving, and just became a cookie cutter version of themselves.

[genkij]

My nieces say blah blah is GAY all the time ... it is just what people say in their circle. It is how it is said... if one of my Homo friends says to me you are such a fag/queen/poof/woman/gurl ...it's not bad - it's in jest. Even if a straight mate says it ...fine. If someone I don't know calls me a fucking faggot - that's hateful..... I would not like to be able to use such language. We need to teach people the time and place. FACT IS we live in a straight world & there will always be people who don't like us. Thats fine I don't what to have to like everyone either .... who is going to be the object of my ribbings ??

Relax ladies & enjoy the good life we have here in Australia with a great sense of humor - See my post about grant denyer ... take a joke people ....

[hazyinseptember]

hmmm.. thats not quite what this is about genkij..

check out the article link at the top.. its about the death of gay..

[GenesisInVain]

it can be both. so many younglings.. with the exception of me are becoming confined because they choose to define as 'gay' only and not a whole human being

[Asherbella]

What does this guy expect us to do? Use sign language?

[rudeboy86]

the problem is not that the word gay is oppressive..

the problem is what the word gay is becoming.. clean, suburban and homogenised..

This unfortunately is true...

I prefer to define myself as Queer, Homosexual or Gay...doesn't bother me in the slightest.

I am me. I think that is pretty important too...