Perspectives from an English Historian who just happens to be Gay, Catholic, and a Democratic Socialist. Now back in the UK after 20 years of living in the United States. The Blog is eclectic in covering all these sides of my Life. Follow on Twitter at PaulBHalsall
Andrew has been running a whole series of links to YouTubes of Best and and Worst Eighties videos. Personally I found his link to Freddy Mercury and Queen's I Want to Break Free brought on many fond memories.
I was trying to find the Zoroastrian message in the Queen video. Do you think the passing of the body over the heads and the rolling over the bodies was a symbolic nod to the Chinvat Bridge? I may be pushing it there, but the end is a clear sign of the final judgement where all souls, good and evil, are saved at the end of time.
When one looks back, Freddy was incredibly brave. He was a Parsee from Bombay, and under than interpretation [contrary to the Medieval Catholic idea that Dualists were "buggers"] Zoroastrianism condemns homosexuality.
It is very hard to express publically the extent of liberated sexuality, both before and after AIDS, among many in the gay community. It basically, if morally thought about, argued that any "real" connection in sex was, ipso facto, good - and thus in opposition to a Platonic notion of "finality" as the measure of "goodness" in sex.
There were both real gains and real losses in this concept of sexual connection. One could have the most intense multi-hour long conversation after a trick in a bathhouse, and one could reduce sex to mere "functions." Part of this was an aspect of male sexuality, which is, in general (I have met women who do this also) able to imagine a real, intense, but terminal sexual connection, as opposed to a female sexuality (I have met men who think in this way) where some permanent emotional connection is required to make sex "real."
Freddy fucked, and was fucked, by a lot of guys. That does not fit into any traditional Parsee paradigm, but does fit into the Parsee pattern of integration into any society in which they live.
Being gay is both joyful, and painful. The aim of the Gay and Lesbian movement is to prevent this internal conflict for future young people. The result will be happier gays, but less conflicted and creative people.
Overall, in this universe, most people will not be massively creative, and it will be better if gay people become as boring as everyone else.
That is the goal of the gay movement: to stop the pain, and make gay people boring.
Anyone reading this who is gay, and needs to chat with me should know my AIM is UNGhistoryprof or Guy32205 on Gay.com.
5 comments:
"Safety Dance" by Men Without Hats is an awesome song.
I like the one from this link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhDCXXvK0QE
Did the 80s really happen?
I was trying to find the Zoroastrian message in the Queen video. Do you think the passing of the body over the heads and the rolling over the bodies was a symbolic nod to the Chinvat Bridge? I may be pushing it there, but the end is a clear sign of the final judgement where all souls, good and evil, are saved at the end of time.
Spencer,
When one looks back, Freddy was incredibly brave. He was a Parsee from Bombay, and under than interpretation [contrary to the Medieval Catholic idea that Dualists were "buggers"] Zoroastrianism condemns homosexuality.
It is very hard to express publically the extent of liberated sexuality, both before and after AIDS, among many in the gay community. It basically, if morally thought about, argued that any "real" connection in sex was, ipso facto, good - and thus in opposition to a Platonic notion of "finality" as the measure of "goodness" in sex.
There were both real gains and real losses in this concept of sexual connection. One could have the most intense multi-hour long conversation after a trick in a bathhouse, and one could reduce sex to mere "functions." Part of this was an aspect of male sexuality, which is, in general (I have met women who do this also) able to imagine a real, intense, but terminal sexual connection, as opposed to a female sexuality (I have met men who think in this way) where some permanent emotional connection is required to make sex "real."
Freddy fucked, and was fucked, by a lot of guys. That does not fit into any traditional Parsee paradigm, but does fit into the Parsee pattern of integration into any society in which they live.
Being gay is both joyful, and painful. The aim of the Gay and Lesbian movement is to prevent this internal conflict for future young people. The result will be happier gays, but less conflicted and creative people.
Overall, in this universe, most people will not be massively creative, and it will be better if gay people become as boring as everyone else.
That is the goal of the gay movement: to stop the pain, and make gay people boring.
Anyone reading this who is gay, and needs to chat with me should know my AIM is UNGhistoryprof or Guy32205 on Gay.com.
That should be AIM: UNFhistoryprof
Post a Comment