Untitled 21 - Sexual Orientation (Friday Life #25) 14 October 2014

Certain segments of society have changed their position or attitude toward sexual orientation, and certain are remaining the same or getting worse.  Whereas being closeted was the norm in the entertainment industries of the early 1900s to the 1950s-1970s and even later in certain sectors of entertainment, more and more high profile celebrities are coming out and leading their lives openly and freely.  Progress is certainly slow.  For every Ellen Degeneres, there is a Matthew Shepherd, for every Barney Frank, there is Harvey Milk.  For every ACLU, there is a Westboro Baptist Church.  Athletes in the large professional sports of the US (Michael Sam, football & Jason Collins, basketball) are finding it more and more acceptable to express their sexuality in a public court, but just as there is resistance to the acceptance of these things, there is a sort of reverse blowback, where – when these players don’t make the presumably (and most likely truthfully) sports-based cut – gay activists and typically more reasonably-minded progressives get frustrated at a system that they see as prejudiced.  It’s frustrating to that segment of society because they actually have been spurned for years, the “don’t ask-don’t tell” mentality as norm has a huge history in our “freedom for all, but not necessarily for you” cultural consciousness. 
            We evolved as a type of bipolar ape, so it makes sense that our society would have a bit of contradiction built in, and it does.  The march of progress (culturally, not biologically – where "progress" is a bit of a misnomer) is brutally slow for those being perpetually swept under the rug and sometimes literally stomped upon.  Things are changing, but again, for every Frank Ocean, there is a trove of multi-genre hip-hop that still says “fag” this and “fag” that.”  Across the board there is resistance to change and a push for it, and no matter which side you’re on, there isn't an easy solution.