this blog is going to be about privilege and if you find yourself becoming upset with the things i write, you probably belong in that said privilege group and should exam your privilege.
i've belong to the world of myspace for almost two years now.
i find it interesting that the queer people i know leave their orientation blank.
understandably, tom has yet to realize their is more beyond the binary of gay/ straight.
(and for all of you who are thinking what about bisexual, i will say this. bisexuality still operates in a binary system. the prefix bi itself implies two.)
anyway, i have also noticed that tons of heterosexuals i know (some i love dearly) proclaim their orientation on myspace. (some of you are thinking so. what is there really to be frustrated about? why is this worth even mentioning?)
the majority of my friends are white.
myspace also has a ethnicity box and the majority of my white friends on myspace leave their ethnicity boxes blank.
i mean i get it. you just have to look at their photos and youre like yeah he/she is white. it's obvious.
why proclaim caucasian?
why proclaim heterosexuality?
now your thinking kelly you've gone off your rockers. orientation and ethnicity are two different things.
that they are, but they both work under a privileged based system.
being white and heterosexual is to be privileged (sorry kids if i'm ruining your day, but it's true)
it's really hard to look at someone's photo and undoubtedly proclaim, "wow, he/she is a huge fag!"
as much as you would like to think your gaydar is the bomb diggity there is no set/ constant aesthetic for identifying us queers.
(i thought i keep this next part in a vernacular we all could grasp)
to be queer is to be marginalized.
to be marginalized doesnt feel good.
so, this has all led me to theorize that the kids on myspace who think it is important to declare their sexuality, but not their ethnicity (esp. when their sexuality and their ethnicity is one of privilege) reassert their sexuality so they are not mistaken as queer and thus marginalized (and ostracized) by the culture at large.
now kids, i'm sure you can find me (what you believe to be countless) examples that put a wrench (un-doubtingly proving wrong) in my theory.
i can't do all the work for you. but this time i will (dont get use to this shit)
theory:
Main Entry:
Pronunciation: 'thE-&-rE, 'thir-E
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -ries
Etymology: Late Latin theoria, from Greek theOria, from theOrein
1 : the analysis of a set of facts in their relation to one another
2 : abstract thought : speculation
3 : the general or abstract principles of a body of fact, a science, or an art
4 a : a belief, policy, or procedure proposed or followed as the basis of action
5 : a plausible or scientifically acceptable general principle or body of principles offered to explain phenomena
6 a : a hypothesis assumed for the sake of argument or investigation b : an unproved assumption : conjecture c : a body of theorems presenting a concise systematic view of a subject <theory of equations>
synonym see hypothesis
So,
this goes out to you especially if you are a white heterosexual male (yeah, this is also about the patriarchy)
and you notice that your ethnicity is blank on your myspace profile,
but your sexuality proclaims heterosexuality (the default sexuality in our western american culture)
ask yourself why is that.
is it purely aesthetic?
are you hesitant to be seen as other?
do you recognize your own individual queerness but hide under the privilege of heterosexuality?
listen kids i'm the first one to tell you your sexual orientation does not have to match the way you behave.
fuck dudes
kiss dudes
fuck grrrls
kiss grrrls
and all the other beautiful genders i've left out because this blog entry is already becoming to long.
heterosexuality has a long history of privilege and oppression and for the revolution to truly take off we need to begin to dismantle the privilege and oppression associated with the heterosexual culture.
that is all for now.
love.
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