Queers: Americas New Nigger

Necessity is the mother of invention, and the civil rights movement needs an oppressed class in order to exist. While all minorities are still vigorously defended by this societal juggernaut, there is one group that seems to have gained top priority. Black Americans were oppressed simply because of the color of their skin. Today's main class of oppressed people claims to be "discriminated" against because of their sexual orientation. The pre-civil rights era oppressors used the term "nigger" to deride black Americans. Over time the word became unspeakable by white people in public, and today there are no more "niggers" for the civil rights movement to defend. So to remain a valid and necessary organization, the civil rights movement, with the help of mass media, used outdated social stigmas to turn homosexuals into a class of oppressed people. They have made queers Americas new nigger.

It is not my intention in this essay to cast judgment on the morality of homosexuality, but rather to discuss my perceptions and observations of homosexuals as they are portrayed in the media vs. my perceptions and observations of real queers. Admittedly, I have had little direct contact with homosexuals in my own life, at least not enough to give my opinions much weight. Therefore when I refer to real homosexuals, I will be referring somewhat to those I have encountered personally, but more so to those that I have observed on reality shows such as Survivor, any show on MTV, Fear Factor, ext, as well as on television news magazines such as 60 Min, Dateline, 20/20 and 48hrs. I also base my observations of real homosexuals upon news programming such as those seen on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News Channel, and so on. Granted, all of these sources present skewed portrayals of homosexuals, but I aim to address that as well. But I digress.

In addition to being a sharp dresser and exuberantly effeminate, the stereotypical gay man is also relatively young, attractive, intelligent, and successful. The stereotypical lesbian usually falls into one of too types. There is the "butch" lesbian, who has short hair, wears men's clothing, and is in general a masculine female. Mind you they are never so masculine as to be un-attractive. Then there are "lipstick" lesbians, who are real girly girls that look basically like lingerie models. Both genders of homosexuals are generally portrayed as brilliant and enlightened, the evil of their straight oppressors all that is holding them back. There is a message about homosexuality being widely distributed to the youth of today, along with the entire culture. The mantra is that homosexuals are a persecuted class, homosexuality is good, and anyone who doesn't agree with that is an evil hate filled bigot.