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Mainstream
Gays Now that the idea of gay marriage has entered the public theater, we're all in for the biggest sparks yet on divisions caused by gay issues being brought to the front. What is troubling to me on the left is that there seems to be a small group of people who decide how it should be for all of us regarding such a far-reaching objective. Many of us prefer proposing civil unions as the most desirable option, seeing marriage as a religious ideal and institution that doesn't need to be breached. What bothers me about those on the right is they offer no reasonable alternative to bring us into the mainstream in a way that honors us as fully participating members in a democratic and free society. Relegating us to second-class citizenship has been an ongoing part of conservative policy. At first, people were just arrested when caught in compromised situations. Then, those exposed could be publicly shamed or shunned or called communists. As time went on and gay folks started asserting themselves, as they became visible, they could be beat up, shamed, or discounted by publicizing the most ostentatious. When they stayed in the closet, they could at least be ignored. Then they started having parades, so featuring those displaying the most disgusting and flamboyant behavior assisted straight folks in maintaining their superiority. But gay people kept insisting on being in the mainstream. AIDS entered the nation's consciousness at a time when a scapegoat was needed, and gay folks could be discounted once again. If it wasn't for their promiscuity, they wouldn't have to worry about catching such diseases. Of course, this was hard to pin on lesbians, as their rate of infection was much lower than that of the straight population. There was never any alternative given to gay individuals, except perhaps undergoing heterosexual therapy to undo the orientation (or "preference" if you believed being gay was a choice) natural for them and, of course, to insist on them remaining invisible. When they started coupling, becoming visible as partners, they were once again flaunting their sexuality. No biggie that gay people were establishing more lasting relationships and even fitting the heterosexual ideal. Although people of the same gender have been connecting since time immemorial, it has only been recently possible to pursue such relationships in a less clandestine manner. Part of this process is due to available technology which has allowed other-than-heterosexual folks to discover many others out there with similar orientations. The true measure of freedom will be the day a gay man can approach you (if you're male) and openly express his interest in getting to know you better. When you (if you're heterosexual) are able just to thank him and say that you're not interested, being gay will truly become a non-issue. Scott Thiemann's column ran for several months in the Port Orford News, but was canceled due to advertiser pressure. His columns and commentaries have also run in the Brownsville Time and the Brookings Pilot.
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