Gay Culture's Integration to the Mainstream

In response to Michael Warner's The Trouble With Normal, I find that I mostly agree with the lesbian activist he quoted as saying that "homosexuals would gain equality only by 'integrating,' by insisting on being 'men and women whose homosexuality is irrelevant to our ideals, our principles, our hopes and aspirations" (46). In a society (the United States) that judges people based on things as superficial as looks and material wealth, everyone is struggling to be normal. Why should homosexual people be any different?

Normal is a matter of collective taste. Most people (that I have encountered) find it rather distasteful to openly discuss sex; it is something that should be kept private. Stigma does not surround gay sex exclusively, but all sex in general. I think that some of the homophobia present today is the result of discomfort discussing all sexuality. Heterosexuality is necessary for procreation and it is simply easier to dismiss homosexuality (or any sexual deviance) as simply immoral rather than to discuss it.

Therefore, by down-playing their sexuality and conveying themselves as normal in other aspects, homosexuals can be much more successful in opening up a dialogue with the mainstream. Instead of focusing on differences, they are able to emphasize their commonalities. I think this is why the queer segment of gay culture meets so much more hostility. They simply do not fit into the normal schema. Unfortunately for them, society is only able to adjust that schema a little at a time.

Maybe I'm just a naïve, overly optimistic redneck girl, but I think that with time society will become more accepting of all segments of all cultures. However, this process happens in slight degrees. Each generation seems to become more and more open minded. Luckily, as this is happening, the rate at which social politics in America is progressing increases exponentially. In the past one hundred years, we have seen an end to segregation, women's suffrage, and countless other victories for civil rights. Who knows what else the next one hundred years will bring? The fact that issues such as abortion and gay marriage are even open for discussion is a testament to the fact that progress is still being made. These discussions were not openly taking place even thirty years ago. Eventually it will happen; until then we must continue to advocate and to educate the public. We must also continue to be optimistic and above all else, we must remain patient.Works Cited

Warner, Michael. The Trouble With Normal: Sex, Politics, & the Ethics of Queer Life. United States of America: First Harvard University Press, 2000.