mmm, procrastination

[kindkit]

It's getting late and I really should be grading papers.

Instead, a poll. Inspired by an earlier discussion on my journal about the British TV show "Bob and Rose."

Comments

[glossing]

I can't answer the poll. Like, at all.

Identity politics confuse and taunt me.

[kindkit]

*taunts you and pokes you will sticks, only not really*

I was going to say I didn't mean the poll in an identity-politicky way. Except I think I did. Issues about gay identity are inevitably politicized, I guess, and conversely, issues about "gay politics" (e.g., gay and lesbian rights) inevitably seem to come down to questions, or assumptions, about identity. So much gay rights talk is based on the idea that people's sexuality is inborn and unchangeable and remains stable throughout their lives--when at least for some people this may not be true. Strategic essentialism, one could say--but then when does strategic essentialism just turn into plain old essentialism?

[executrix]

kindkit said:
So much gay rights talk is based on the idea that people's sexuality is inborn and unchangeable and remains stable throughout their lives

But what about the part that's based on "everybody is entitled to an honest life and to engage in any mode of sexual expression that they can convince a freely consenting sexually mature person to engage in, whether it was the same mode of expression they engaged in ten years ago or will engage in ten years from now"?

I went to a seminar at the NYC gay & lesbian center (that I found out about n virgule, yay virgule!) and a lot of the readings said that "gay" was a Western-centric identity term that wasn't relevant to a lot of Third World people. I said that I could easily understand how, say, a Filipino would identify as "bakla" and not as "gay" (sorry for mispelling) but I couldn't see why a self-identified "bakla" would think that it was OK to be assaulted, imprisoned, or denied employment for that reason.

[pinkdormouse]

Just to let you know, I'm holding off commenting until I've rewatched 'Bob and Rose' (the video's in a box somewhere). I'm having trouble remembering much about Bob -- his mother sticks in my mind mostly -- or how the whole thing was resolved in the end.

Then again I've come to the conclusion that little my friends can do would surprise me these days. Far too many have either settled down with someone of an unexpected gender, changed gender while I was out of town for a year, or converted to a religion completely at odds with their previous behaviour.

Gina