Gay presence at the Tonys — Page 7

Krispy - there are MORE than enough examples of smartasses around here for me to know that you were being sincere

Truthfully, though, it really was a general statement, rather than one directed toward any particular individual.

Cherry Jones is a carpet lesbo???? Someone please tell me. I had no idea.

"Lastly, I identify as a human being. Not a GAY human being."

ILUV, when they come to take me and DGrant and Beaver and Robbie away, they're taking you too, whether you idetify as a gay human being or not.

I don't really have a problem with you not kissing your life-partner when you get an award, but why do you feel the need to criticize others for that, and then extend that criticism to people giving out condoms and dental dams at parades?

Are you equally horrified by when straight people kiss or when heterosexual Mardi Gras revelers in New Orleans show each other their tits?

Or is it just the behavior of exuberant gay people that upsets you?

Me? I celebrate exuberance.

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Pal, I actually really am made uncomfortable at the sight of straight couples together. Public displays of affection tend to make a little squeamish (I'm not talking hand-holding or cheek-kissing. I'm talking mouth-to-mouth. And not CPR.) - gay, straight, black, white, interracial, whatever.

Chita, I HAVE suffered the bearings of coming out. I have gone in and out of the closet repeatedly with my family because they're not accepting. I was beat up twice in high school - surprisingly the only incidents there, I was treated well by most others. And suffered harassments and threats at my college dorm by a football player on the floor above mine. But that doesn't mean anything except that it's made me a stronger PERSON. The fact that I like other men doesn't make me who I am. It is a PART of who I am. Not every action I do, not every play I write or perform in, not everything I spend my life doing has to be focused on the fact that I AM GAY. Why can't it just be that I'm me? Steven? Steven who actually HAPPENS TO be gay.

rKrispyT, thank you. You actually make sense out of my posts (not that others don't - I'm just terrible at getting some of my thoughts across over the boards. I'm much more eloquent in actual speech.). Soon, yes, I'll start to make more statements. But right now, I, personally, feel I need a little quiet. I came out to friends two months after my 18 birthday: mid-November last year. I dealt several times with fights with the family over it, I dealt with two harassments issues in high school and MANY harassments issues at my first year of college. But I want to make note of something:

I started a GSA on campus. I was the first one to start one up in several years. I held a movie night of 'The Birdcage' to show the importance of accepting gay couples we accept straight couples too. But on the posters, was my campus voicemailbox. I got plenty of nasty messages. I got harassed a lot. And, I wrote a play about a lesbian couple in which the girls kissed. It was on the main stage of our theater program, entered into the KENNEDY CENTER AMERICAN COLLEGE FESTIVAL and seen by more than half the campus. Trust me, there were haters. Now, though? Right now, after a long year, I don't WANT it. I want to stop thinking about it for a little while, enjoy my summer off of school, see a lot of theater.

I WANT TO SEE THEATER. I WANT TO CREATE THEATER. "It's about celebrating the craft, not politics." I've said it a million times in this thread. Why do I have to keep repeating myself?

I don't know what else to say except - If you want, continue to find me a homophobe or self-hating. But don't dare think that I don't care or I'm selfish. I did quite a lot for my college's GLBT population this year. Just understand where I'm coming from that maybe right now, I don't feel like dealing with the politics of it because I'm getting a stress-break for the summer.

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Ok, After iluv's last post I see things differently ! You held a cinema showing, wrote a play, these are all VERY commendable and show a great spirit ! It seems to me that you just got tired of being harassed, but that is the exact reason you should not give up ! Your talent can change things for the better, so don't let anyone oppress you. Want it or not, gay life is full of fights. I understand what you say, that you want to be a person, not a gay person BUT the homophobes will lever let it be that way, ideal as it may sound ! So, drawing back in the shadows does no good, not because of us, but because of the others ! Enjoy your stress-free summer, but be back with a vengeance because that is the only way to change things. And your talent can help that change !

Updated On: 6/7/05 at 06:24 AM

Iluv, I worry that you are missing one major point of the postings against what you stated. I think we all have felt overwhelmed by carrying the rainbow flag, but many feel there is no other choice (myself included.) What is still upsetting to me is that, you can feel the way you feel, noone is denying that...but noone should be able to make me feel anything but joyful about being happy, excited and kissing my lover...you have the power to say or do something to me, but it is wrong. If you are tired from the trials of your coming out experience, we all probably relate somewhat, but that you feel compelled to comment that it is not a good thing to have two people show love at a very important moment because you wouldnt do it, that is what's disturbing to me.

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doodle, it's not that I don't think they should, it's that I don't think they should do it to START something. Who knows for sure if anyone thought by kissing their partner it would be a good way to make a political statement? Someone, don't remember who, a while back said that the kiss started something political and I responded saying that I can't stand politics at an award show. If you want to kiss them, do it to do it not to start something. That's all I'm saying.

And yeah, martin, they definitely did. Why don't we just bury this?

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"If you want to kiss them, do it to do it not to start something."

This is what I meant by wanting others to live by the restrictions you place upon yourself. Are you, by chance, a Republican as well?

I don't remember what I was watching, but someone was talking about a harship in their life and they referred to it as their 'beautiful burdern'. And I thought, 'That's exactly how I feel about the struggle to live every day as an out man.' It ain't easy. But what you get in return is so overwhelmingly beautiful that it makes it a lighter load to carry.

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Last night I was listening to a Chicago radio station and the two hosts were talking about the Tonys. They thought Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? was a musical and were going on and on about Hugh getting too "into" musical theater and that it made them feel weird about watching him as Wolverine. *rolls eyes*

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well, iluv, take a break, but stop insisting that other people live and lead the way YOU feel they should. If you aren't up for making a political statement right now, fine. We all need a break. But, please let those of us who wish to be political aka just be "normal" and kiss our partners, etc. and, yes, even use our 3 minutes of acceptance speech to make a statement to do as WE choose.

Signed--one actor who WILL be kissing his boyfriend should he ever win an award and WILL make a political statement during the acceptance speech if he deigns it necessary. :)

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Thanks, JRB...exactly what I was trying to say...you did a better job, tho.

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no, no, you guys have been bringing it these many pages of posts! Ultimately, this has been a great debate.

And hopefully, iluv will come to a BWW gathering so we can smack the crap out of him a little before buying him a drink and trying to molest him as is known to occur at BWW gatherings.

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