S/he Said
"I'm not gay, but I was afraid to even let anyone have the thought. I can only imagine the agony – being a prisoner in your own mind – for someone who wants to come out. If I'm not gay and I am afraid to mention it, I can only imagine what an athlete must be going through if he is gay."
-Michael Irvin, former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver and NFL Hall of Famer, in an article titled "Michael Irvin: The Playmaker Preaches," about his gay brother and explains why he's on a pro-gay mission from God, http://www.out.com, July 6.
"The dynamic between the muggle (non-magical) world and the wizarding world is strikingly similar to that of the straight and closeted gay worlds. They exist side by side, but the wizards must keep their identities and powers secret for fear of frightening the muggles. The only real-life muggles who've been frightened are the groups of Evangelical Christians who've been calling for boycotts and bans on the Harry Potter books and films for years, claiming that they promote magic, evil and devil worship. This may be the most spectacularly unsuccessful boycott in history; the Potter books have sold more than 400 million copies worldwide; the films have grossed more than $6 billion."
-Adam Sandel, playwright and screenwriter, in his blog posting titled "We'll Miss You Harry!," about the special resonance LGBT fans have for Harry Potter, http://dot429.com, July 15.
"There are many ways to kill people and one of the ways is to pretend that they never existed at all. Remove all traces of their journey and hope no one discovers their story. Often the issue of self-esteem among young LGBT citizens stems from the fact that they think our common denominator is just sexually based. They have no idea of their noble, proud and heroic traditions and actions of their pioneers. LGBT history is filled with dramatic courage, dignity and determination and innovative and extraordinary leaders. If you feel like you have come out of nothing then you might feel you are nothing. If you think only sex is the basis of our journey then you will miss the remarkable stories that define this community as one of heroes, heroines and a very proud people."
-David Mixner, political strategist, and LGBT rights activist, in his blog titled "Why LGBT History Is Important," http://www.davidmixner.com, July 15.
"Older gays have been the object of negative stereotyping both from society at large and within the gay community. The image of the lonely older man lusting after younger men is perpetuated by the right wing in an attempt to frighten and shame us into abandoning our sexual orientation. Within the gay community the stereotype of the 'bitter old queen' divides generations – older men are afraid of being seen as 'chicken hawks,' and younger men are wary of being sexually objectified. This negative stereotype also reinforces the belief that gay relationships are based solely on sexual attraction and that once our youth begins to fade, we are unlikely to have any real or lasting relationships."
-Rik Isensee, in his book "Are You Ready? The Gay Man's Guide to Thriving at Midlife," about the first generation of openly gay men to hit middle age, http://www.worldcat.org.
