Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site wivax.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!wivax!dyer
From: dyer@wivax.UUCP (Stephen Dyer)
Newsgroups: net.motss
Subject: Re: Why advertise?
Message-ID: <19645@wivax.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 22-Jun-84 03:09:32 EDT
Article-I.D.: wivax.19645
Posted: Fri Jun 22 03:09:32 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 22-Jun-84 11:16:14 EDT
References: <482@denelcor.UUCP>
Organization: Wang Institute, Tyngsboro, Ma.  01879
Lines: 34

Rob's posting reminded me of a letter which I recently sent to someone
regarding the same issues.  I enclose a fragment of it for your
perusal.

"I think it is important when confronting public prejudice against gay
people to mention that one is gay in one's response if that is the case,
for even though this is logically unconvincing as rhetoric, it can still be a
powerful counter-example to those who know of gay people only from what
they hear or fear.  That is, you can be an important witness for the
truth, merely by standing up and being yourself.  What is more, given
that many gay people still do not feel comfortable with this, the
actions of a small number of people become even more important.

"In a broader sense, one has to ask the question as to when mentioning
being gay is ever inappropriate.  That is, you can say "I don't care whether
X is straight or gay."  Fine.  But there is a phenomenon which I might
call "leakiness" which holds true for heterosexuals, yet is still questioned
when gay people display it.  That is, unless you are going out of your
way to hide something, facts about your heterosexuality just naturally
"leak" out of your daily life: your wife's (or MOTOS') picture in your
wallet or on your desk, your casual mention of the trip you took last
weekend, meeting and introducing your friend to acquaintances you meet
on the street.  By no stretch of the imagination would anyone claim that
you were "flaunting" heterosexuality.  Yet gay people, if they even display
an amount of openness much less than this, are often said to be "flaunting"
their preference, if not being downright exhibitionistic.  Too often, when
someone says, "I don't care whether X is gay or not--it is irrelevant",
one is really prescribing a choice between "leaky" heterosexuality and
a kind of neutered asexuality.  I am not making any judgements about your
own comments, just giving you some of my perceptions."
-- 
/Steve Dyer
decvax!bbncca!sdyer
sdyer@bbncca.ARPA