Jen over at Kids of Queers has inspired me to write an entry for my blog today. Last night I was trying to catch up with the blogs that I follow, I came to Jen's blog and she'd posted up a message about her entrecard being rejected because of the 'gay' connection.
As I said before when she mentioned this in her blog I think this is a sad state of affairs a very sad state of affairs but it made me think about the whole idea of a gay identity and culture. I have always had this quiet but persistent thought that the more gay people shouted and campaigned for rights the more they were marginalized. They 'offended' middle class sensibilities I suppose; but if they did not shout and campaign they'd be ignored and basic human rights would be denied them. A catch 22 situation. Being a part of the gay community is a marginalizing experience and leads many people to 'remove' themselves as such from the mainstream society or they spend their lives denying an aspect of their personality that should not be ignored or denied. Nor should they live their lives with a sense of shame because they feel somehow different.
There is one fact that keeps knocking at the door. We are all different, we have all many aspects that make us who we are, that gives us our sense of 'self' but we are all human. We all experience the joys and sorrows of life. We experience love and loss, we all grieve and we laugh at things that are funny the world over and many of our stories that explain the historical emergence of our different cultures and beliefs have the same threads of sense running through them. (I am thinking of some of the Greek myths and some of the Irish Celtic myths that I know, they are basically the same stories with different characters.)
We are all human and I believe being gay is as much a human thing as being straight. It is also a human thing to reject something or someone that you just can't understand. Things that you don't understand can often frighten you so rejection is the natural response. The fact that there are many open minded people willing to accept this different lifestyle does not make it any less frightening to people with closed minds.
So in summing up I would say to Jen (and anyone else) who experience getting their blog adverts rejected because of gay issues. Think of the positive things that have been brought to the world from the small but vibrant gay society. (Oscar Wilde for example)! Think positive about your heritage and your culture and only apply to people who want to showcase your blog on theirs.
I for one do not follow Jens blog because it has a rainbow or Queer in the title I follow Kids of Queers and Redhead ranting because I think Jen presents intelligent and amusing blogs. That is what I look for when I read blogs, that is all I ask for.
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