Friday December 8, 2006 SGN.org |
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Volume 34 Issue 49 |
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Saturday, Aug 30, 2008
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A hooker, a Hilton, and the talk show host |
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| A hooker, a Hilton, and the talk show host | |
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by Pete Dorogoff -
Special to the SGN It may be a bit ironic to weave together a hooker, a Hilton, and a talk show host but could it be that Mike Jones, Perez Hilton and Rosie O'Donnell are the catalyst for the next wave of Gay liberation and the LGBT battle for equality; with each, in their own right, outspoken voices in the face of injustice, hypocrisy and social contradiction. Mike Jones, the former male prostitute and consort of Ted Haggard helped topple the former leader of the National Association of Evangelicals by coming forward to expose the morally-challenged closet case. In his own words, Jones said, "It made me angry that here's someone preaching about Gay marriage and going behind the scenes having Gay sex." A brave move by the aging male masseur in defiant need of release; though not such a happy ending for the forlorn Mr. Haggard. Gay blogger Perez Hilton, the self-proclaimed queen of all media, has a bitchy habit of writing about not-yet-out celebrities. His overt moxie and in-your-face brand of gossip has garnered Hilton a rabid fan base with nearly 4 million need-to-know mongers scouring his site daily for the latest news on sexual ambiguity in Hollywood. Outing, albeit always controversial, is back in vogue and Hilton is like a virtual heat-seeking missile constantly on attack. Talk show host Rosie O'Donnell recently threw-it-down with competing talk show host Kelly Ripa sighting what O'Donnell believed to be a homophobic move by Ripa toward Clay Aiken on national TV. Not to rehash the incident, O'Donnell displayed courage in calling out Ripa on what our community might perceive to be inappropriate behavior. Coming of age at a time when silence equaled death, I applaud the bravery of individuals who stand up and represent, particularly against a backdrop of political correctness and guarded opinion that prevails in our society today. And in our own lives, whether an offensive remark, an insensitive gesture, or overt acts of hatred toward the LGBT community, the real crime for any one of us is to remain silent. Complacency can be a demon with indifference feeding the beast. Growing up, I was one that was always teased and tormented by friends and classmates and called Queer before I even knew what the term meant. Times have changed indeed but one can argue that from childhood schoolyard antics to grown up boardroom politics today the fight still lingers for those of us who don't subscribe to conventional wisdom nor live the hetero-centric standard. As we begin to really feel the impact - and promise -- from the seismic aftershock of November's elections, it angers and puzzles me to learn that a considerable sum in our community still don't vote nor feel empowered that they can make a difference. It doesn't take the color red or blue to divide a nation -- or a community -- especially at a time in our country truly positioned for civic change. It used to be that organizations such as GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) were the watchdogs for our community. Increasingly, the power and influence of mainstream media is shifting as the Internet, along with reality TV and mass media overall, has given rise to everyday citizens with unique and provocative points of view - whether subversive and dissonant or supportive of popular culture and opinion. And as the definition of celebrity blurs - with reality TV contestants and online bloggers bucking heads with real-life movie stars on red-carpet events, it doesn't really matter where the courage to stand up, or to stand out, comes from. Gay or straight, it might be in the likes of a Bill Maher on Larry King or even a Howard Dean. And history will hopefully, kindly define Mike Jones and Perez Hilton and Rosie O'Donnell. As we look toward the year ahead, and to our own potential and individual acts of bravery, it is with one voice that we can conquer. In our community, the quest for LGBT equality can only be fought with one voice - yet one voice with many chords. I believe they call that harmony. Pete Dorogoff is a media communications specialist and can be reached at pete@iprocommunications.com |
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