Nostalgia

The Gentleman's Rule:

"A Wabash man will conduct himself at all times, both on and off campus, as a
gentleman and a responsible citizen.”

"This is the rule we live by. This is what it takes to be a Wabash man."

Southern by the Grace of God

In Bay Minette, Alabama--about 20 miles from Mobile, Alabama, the city I grew up in--Scotty Joe Weaver, an 18yo gay teenager gets beaten, strangled, stabbled, and decapitated by three guys, two of which were his roommates. This ((of course)) is not the first time a hate crime has been committed against a Queer individual in Alabama [Billy Jack Gaither].

Nevertheless, the enlightened state of Alabama refuses to amend its hate crime law to include sexual orientation. In fact, in 2002 an Alabama Supreme Court Justice commented that being gay is, among other things, "abhorrent, immoral, detestable, a crime against nature, and a violation of the laws of nature," a "lifestyle" that "should never be tolerated," "an intolerable evil," "an inherent evil," and "an act so heinous that it defies one's ability to describe it."

Alabama's ignorance doesn't stop there. Currently, Gerald Allen, an Alabama State representative, wants to ban all books the present homosexuality in anything but a negative light or by gay authors from the Alabama public libraries.

Not only do some US states refuse to protect the rights of GLBTQ individuals, but they may efforts to make laws that steal privileges from them. My heart aches.

-kway

The full Scotty Joe Weaver story.

Natural Sexuality

I in no way indented or intend for this blog to become a critique or commentary of movies. However, in my schedule-less summer meanderings I have been privy to several.

A wonderful monologue on sexuality:

"Most people think that what they do
sexually is what everyone does, or should do. But, I might remark,that all the so-called sexual perversions fall but in the range of biologic normality. For example, masturbation, mouth-genital contact, and homosexual acts are common in most mammals, including humans. Society might condemn such practices on moral grounds. However, it is ludicrous to call them unnatural. But based on the first book of Genesis and according to public opinion there's only one correct sexual equation: Man + Woman = Baby; everything else is vice. But the orgasm record of the males in this classroom alone proves the ineffectiveness of social restrictions and the pervasiveness of the biologic demand.

Why are some cows highly sexed while others just stand there? Why do some men need thirty orgasm a week while others [need] almost none? Because everyone is different. The problem is [that] most people want to be the same. They find it easier to simply ignore this fundamental aspect of the human condition. They are so eager to be part of
the group that they will betray their own nature to get there.

If something [that is] pleasurable and strongly desired is prohibited, it becomes an obsession.
Think about this."

-Alfred Kinsey

go see CRASH

I just got back from seeing the movie Crash, it was amazing. I saw it with Michael, who had seen it once before by himself and was thoughtfully speechless and angry for days afterward. It was such a great portrayal of a racial dynamics and interactions.

I must admit that I was surprised to note that most of the audience was White. I wondered, if they knew what the movie was about before they paid for their ticket. Or, if during they movie they thought, "well, I didn't know this was about race -- I am so uncomfortable." I must say that the latter situation pleases me more for some reason. I suspect I feel that the people who are least likely to know what the movie was about going in were the ones who most 'deserved' to see it.

Most White people, and some people of color, I talk to about White privilege or racism respond by telling me that these things do not exist in this country anymore. They tell me that everyone is perceived and treated equally nowadays. I am often left . . . unsure how to respond. Baffled. I suppose as it is the common response, I am naive to continually be surprised. Consistently, in my baffled state, I cannot provide my critics with concrete examples, that will undoubtedly PROVE! that racism is still a pervasive entity in today's United States. My best evidence always comes as an afterthought to the conversation when I am ruminating on the conversation on my ride home. I often respond by telling them that I will let them borrow my Privilege, Power, and Diverence book. Indeed, I only have one copy. I will, in future discussions, suggest this movie as a way of gaining a insightful perspective on racial dynamics in the US. If nothing else, it should spark satisfying conversation.

-kway

this entry's word: untoward \uhn-TORD\, adjective:
1. Not favorable or fortunate; adverse.
2. Improper; unseemly.
3. Hard to guide, work with, or control; unruly.