Monday, November 19, 2007

Giving Thanks For Us, This All Embracing Band of Gay Brothers





Defiance and Attitude: An Exhibition of Queer Art Made in Texas
Artist Harmony Hammond curates a new show examining the double meaning of "Y Que?"



From October 5th until November 17th, Landmark Arts and the School of Art in the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Texas Tech University will present Y Que? —Queer Art Made in Texas, curated by prolific artist Harmony Hammond, in the Landmark Gallery of the Art Building.


According to Hammond, the show “expresses defiance and attitude. Y Que? has a double meaning. One the one hand it implies, ‘Yeah, I’m queer, so what? What’s it to you?’ But it also implies a continuation: ‘…and what else? OK, so you’re queer, but what else are you?’ Texan, Chicano/a, African-American, etc.” (The above art work and written description courtesy of Peter Schaus, and Out magazine.)


It takes a lesbian to document via visual art what, we, as gay men, meaningfully represent, as a tribe. Sure, we love to fuck and get fucked, but hey, it's about something higher, more gratifying, more structural.


I recently came across a question on the hot gay male site, http://www.realjock.com/, in their forum section. The hottie who posted, wanted to start a discussion. He wanted to know, if it was alright not to like his fellow gay men, because he found fault in some of their ways, and could not quite come to associate himself with "every" gay man.


One commenter wrote, that he, as a gay man, must accept all gay men unconditionally. Well, while I welcome this thought, I don't necessarily agree.


We are all different, in so many delightful ways. True, we have our gayness as a common thread, and I, for one, am glad of that. But true, buddy body bonding, and acceptance, requires liking and connecting with that other dude. If sparks don't fly, then a common kinship just doesn't get established.


While I have written many times that I can find at least one thing, one attribute, to find attractive about another guy, that doesn't mean that a guy can't have more than one thing to like.


For instance, rudeness is something that turns me off. I believe in being civil with everyone, no exceptions. For me, rudeness, is the break off, turn off. I'm human, guys, and I can't tolerate rudeness. Deception, I can accept, rudeness, I can't. Even when a fellow gay dude swipes my photo and identifies it as it being him, I can accept that.


For me, you guys are a band of brothers. I like every one of you. If I could, I would want to give each and every one of you, mega hairy muscle hugs, to show my appreciation for your years of being who you are, just great guys.


For me, that's what Thanksgiving is all about.


And also for me, a turkey baster has multiple uses as a toy to enjoy with a bud, besides helping to give the turkey a golden brown color. Bon apetit, and have a great Thanksgiving.




4 comments:

A Lewis said...

Right on, man....HAPPY TURKEY (BASING) DAY TO YOU TOO. Naked, sloppy, wet, sweaty hugs to you.

raindog469 said...

I agree, and I've never thought gay guys have to give other gay guys a free pass just for being gay. It'd be like giving all the other residents of my state a free pass just for living in New York, and I'm sure as hell not going to do that. We can admire the good parts (good as defined by us, because any other definition is meaningless) while turning our back on the bad parts.

Fistfighting in the middle of a freeway, for example, is what I would call a bad part and it looks like you would too.

Anonymous said...

I appreciate all my gay friends and I approach each new gay brother I meet as a potential friend. But although I will always feel a solidarity with them because they are gay, I may not always like them, not them me. We are people first of all, then gay. We are all different and sometimes those differences repel.

Happy Thanksgiving, Buff!

TOS said...

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving! Though you are in Canada eh? You get 2 Thanksgivings, lucky!