The Gay, Black Civil Rights Hero Opposed to Affirmative Action: How would Bayard Rustin be judged today?

Here's a video commentary about Bayard Rustin from today's New York Times.

United Methodists Tighten Ban on Same-Sex Marriage and Gay Clergy

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/26/us/united-methodists-vote.html

The Dead Language of Gay Men

I recently came across a 2017 article by Paul Baker, a Professor at Lancaster University in the U.K, about the history of Polari- "a secret language, which has now largely fallen out of use, but was historically spoken by gay men and female impersonators." It reminded me of a more complex version of the veiled references we read about in Chauncey's Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World 1890-1940. 

Baker discusses the renewed interest in the language and the controversy surrounding its use within an official religious context. If anyone is interested in reading more about Polari, Baker's research is linked in the article. 

https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2017/02/13/a-brief-history-of-polari-the-curious-after-life-of-the-dead-language-for-gay-men/

⁠Arizona Law Leaves Schools Struggling To Navigate LGBTQ Issues⁠⁦

https://www.npr.org/696572968

Aging+ LGBTQ Elders

This is a incredibly intriguing 5 minute podcast that discusses LGBT people and aging. The podcast discusses older members of the LGBT community feeling like they must go "back into the closet" as they grow older and need services like assisted-living facilities. As we have discussed the construction of the closet in this class, I thought it was interesting that some members of the community are feeling the pressure to go back into the closet as they age. https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2019/02/15/lgbt-people-growing-old-challenges

The Anti-Gay Innuendo & The Lavender Scare

Hi guys! I just came across this article from a online political magazine which is extremely relevant to today's class & readings. It dates the current tactic by Republics as well as "progressives" of slandering ones' opponent (by questioning their sexuality in tweet form) to the Lavender Scare. As someone who doesn't follow politicians' twitters, I was shocked to find that gayness continues to be used as an insult, and grounds for mistrust.

Let me know what you think,
Danielle K

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/02/13/the-dark-history-of-anti-gay-innuendo-224930

Queer Eye for the Straight Guy

Learning about the historical context regarding the massive persecution of several gays and lesbians has provided a really interesting backdrop for other classes of mine. I am also in "Civil Liberties and Fundamental Rights" where we interpret and critique several court case decisions through the lense of the constitution. This class drew my attention to this absolutely fascinating article and I thought it might be interesting to anyone interested in the side of judicial power as far as LGBTQ rights. It's quite theory based and a little dense, but it essentially finds parody in Supreme Court decisions (specifically the transition from Bowers v. Hardwick to Lawrence v. Texas) and compares that to the popular TV show, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Her article provides a different explanation that is not "conventional constitutional discourse" and focuses of the application of queer theory. I had a little trouble understanding the article, so please don't hesitate to reach out if you want any notes that I took in class that may help you better understand the author's point!

https://www.jstor.org/stable/4148040?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents

Trump Admin supporting decriminalizing homosexuality worldwide??

I find it interesting how just last month his ban against transgender people serving in the military was ruled to be implemented until another court decides his ban's ultimate fate. It looks like this could be a ploy to draw attention away from that, but regardless is also is bringing attention to the persecution and criminalization LGBTQ+ people still face in other countries around the world.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/trump-administration-launches-global-effort-end-criminalization-homosexuality-n973081

Michael Sam's (1st openly gay NFL player) experience in the NFL

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/apr/26/nfl-draft-gay-players-michael-sam What are your thoughts on how the coaches handle the situation?

and Tango Makes Three

A great children's book homosexual penguins. My girlfriend, who has lesbian parents, was given this book as a kid and still keeps it close by today. link below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uOXUCiDE-s

The Gay History of America’s Classic Children’s Books

I recently came across this article on the topic of children's book and their apparent "gay history." It discusses in detail the idea of simply including same-sex relationships (sometimes romantic) in children's stories, but also tangentially raises questions of identity with regards to history. I enjoyed it, and hope you all do too! Article below...

The Gay History of America’s Classic Children’s Books

Conversation with my brother

I was talking to my brother the other night about the themes of this class and what we've been reading because I was curious to know how much knowledge he has on LGBTQ history, as a member of the community himself. Similar to me, he said he had not known much about LGBTQ history until taking a History of Sexuality class. We talked about how the separation/exclusion of this history from the broader history of the United States has caused a gap in knowledge and understanding of the LGBTQ community, which probably contributes to the marginalization and discrimination of members of the community. I have never had a conversation like this with him because talking about our sexual orientation is weird because he's my brother but it was cool. I also learned what vouging is and watched this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2NRgjX_3ds

"Where Love Is Illegal" Photo series

I follow the New Yorker on Instagram and they posted a blurb about a the photographs in Robin Hammond's "Where Love Is Illegal" photo series. The photos document anti-gay discrimination around the world. The subjects posted as they wanted to be seen, and most described the ways in which they were attacked. This is part of a larger online project that documents "LGBTI stories of discrimination and survival from around the world."

As technology and social media has growth as a tool for solidarity and bringing people together, this photo series spotlights the relationship between activism, oppression, and solidarity. I found the disjuncture between the photos and the stories behind them to be very thought-provoking for me, and perhaps for others as well.

The photographs are currently on display at the Bronx Documentary Center.

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/photo-booth/where-love-is-illegal-the-photographer-who-collects-stories-of-lgbti-discrimination-across-the-world

Women and nonbinary femmes of Stonewall

I ran into this article on twitter and it seems really interesting!! It's the 50th anniversary of Stonewall this year, and while we're still talking about~40 years Before Stonewall (40 B.S.), I felt that this article gives more context on the specific people of the Stonewall riots and how they are doing today.

The Mothers and Daughters of the Movement

The new generation of LGBTQIA+ New York

I came across this article on Instagram, and since we are talking about Early 20th century gay New York in class, I though it was exceptionally apt. This article contains short profiles on LGBTQIA+ activists and personalities in New York City, curated by Adam Eli, a gay Jewish activist. It is interesting to see how queer personalities are integral to the infrastructure of NYC, such as how drag queen Marti Gould Cummings is an advisor to the mayor on the nightlife advisory board.

LGBTQIA+ New York

Essay on the difficulties of sourcing queer history

I really love this essay from a recent LGBT historian, Hugh Ryan, about his struggle to piece together the life story of a famous 1940s drag king. It reminds me a bit of our discussion today re: the unique problems of sourcing and reconstruction posed by queer history. Ryan details the great lengths he goes to try to find this piece of past, but ultimately he can only cobble together little bits of it (because so much of the story was lost in the Cold War).

The Three Lives of Malvina Schwartz

Podcast Recommendation

Hi all, I wanted to share a link to a podcast I listened to a few weeks ago that I think is pertinent to our recent class conversations. The podcast gives a brief overview of LGBTQ history in the United States, but the segment I found most interesting was the one on non-binary gender identities in the Old West. For example, the historians on the Pod talk about Mrs. Noonan--the laundress for General Custer's 7th Cavalry. Over the years, she married two men in the unit, but when she passed away everyone discovered that she was actually male. Additionally, the podcasters discuss how some women in the Old West dressed as men to gain access to more profitable lines of employment. I really like how they point out that we never see this side of the Old West in Hollywood movies even though it was a fundamental part of that chapter in American history.

Anyway, give it a listen!

https://www.backstoryradio.org/shows/out-of-the-closet

Capitalism, Price Hikes, and Pride Events/Parades

As we were discussing in class today John D'Emilio's article about capitalism and economy, I thought that this bit of global news was interesting. The cost of attending Pride events and concerts are rising and this is concerning as the rising prices exclude people on the basis of income and the ability to afford the cost of attending such events. For many people, such events are a way of community building and meeting new people, so for such events to become exclusionary on the basis of income is concerning. The overwhelming response to the price hikes have been negative as seen by social media reactions that are also included in the article.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-47094331?intlink_from_url=https://www.bbc.com/news/topics/cp7r8vgln2wt/lgbt&link_location=live-reporting-story

"Bud Sex"

Hi all!

In class this past Wednesday (1/30), research on the phenomenon of straight-identifying men having sex with each other and the language they use to describe these encounters was briefly mentioned. I thought I would share this article on the complexities of sex between "straight" men, drawing from the work of sexuality studies Professor Jane Ward (Not Gay: Sex Between Straight White Men) as doctoral student Tony Silva (research focus: sex between rural, straight, White men). This research and analysis is intriguing - especially Silva's use of the term "bud sex" - and hyper-relevant to class themes on the tensions between culture, identity, and sexual behavior.
https://www.thecut.com/2016/12/why-straight-rural-men-have-gay-bud-sex-with-each-other.html