On the crutches of a gay manifesto and Stonewall, Dawn of a new gay (see link below) article argues that 40 years later there is an emergence of a new gay. They have ascended the prepotency of “stereotypes and ideals associated with previous gay generations” and with vehement adjuration of the Village have moved forward, moved west, Queen West.
Propelled by the NBC Will and Grace, Spice Girls and Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s mutant feminist strain, these new gays have driven a stake through the heart of retro-spective queer culture, to create one of their own to be coined ‘Post-mo.’
These post-mos are product of a movement that no longer has any agenda and have simply arrived at the end of the fight of the gay civil rights movement that’s achieved much social progress like same sex marriage; queer representation on mainstream TV networks and new queer role models, and as such has rendered the Village community irrelevant and quintessential reflection of its former self. These post-mos are free to be who they are, as they are, where they are - most notably in Queen West.
Indeed, the notion that queers in Toronto feel more comfortable being themselves outside of the confines of the Village is great. I myself am glad for the liberties of being able to hold hands with my boyfriend taking a stroll down High Park. But I am equally aware that millions of people all across the world can get killed or imprisoned for such liberties by their own governments- Iran, Yemen, UAE, Uganda, Somalia, Nigeria and the list can go on indefinitely. One doesn’t have to go far to see the prejudices and discrimination accorded the queer cause: Marriage rights in US; as early as 2006 motion to open debate to repeal same sex marriage in Canada; the dis-crimination faced by trans-gendered community; discrimination gay youth face in catholic school board. Not far indeed when you take an honest look at the within our own community decried under the banners of: no fats, no fem, no camp, no Trans, no Asian.
One only needs to look at online dating ads, ‘Caucasians only,’ ‘into masculine only,’ ‘I am not racist but we all have our types.’ You know what, we do all have our types but when my statement makes another person feel unworthy because of their race, mannerism, size, gender identity, I am being prejudicial, I am being raciest and these are the fights we need to fight. Stonewall might be over but the personal ‘stonewall’ in our own community is where the fight now needs to take place.
Perhaps there is definitely greater freedom enjoyed by the youth of Toronto but what about the glittering, pink lip-glossed, ‘flaming’ queens or the trans-gendered, the immigrants, or has conforming to the Queen west hipster / geek chic culture allowed for the assimilation to be more palatable? Can a queen be a queen on Queen West and not be met with prejudice? For that matter can a Trans person? Can perhaps, the post-mo be a product of assimilation into the social sexual norm, to be more “masculine” under the guise of Queen West culture? Could it be pandering to internalized homophobia? The article acknowledges it briefly. Why does Aguirre-Livingston’s post-mo male preoccupied with distancing from the very sexual identity it claims is no longer relevant in its culture? Does that itself not make it relevant in defining the post-moism? Is the struggle really over? Or has the post-mo just simply put their queer predecessors identities back in the closet in favour of a stroll west of the rainbow divorced from any obligation to the very community without which the ascendant sexual identity they pander to wouldn’t be possible?
Admittedly I too am guilty of complaining about stereotypical conformist cliché clique qualities of some queers in the Village and indeed there are many valid criticism of the Village community as one will find in any cornered community and the way it shapes the scene and queer culture. But it is also a community those who are marginalized have come to feel comfortable. The village has always been the hub for those who are still coming out, those who are still not comfortable with being gay or admitting to it, for people who are marginalized elsewhere and for those who want to let loose and have fun. It is a community of twinks and bears, queens and divas, jock and the geeks, trans-gay-bi-lesbian all gendered people and ultimately it is a community for post-mo as well. That is the legacy of the Village and it can’t and shouldn’t be derogated.
Perhaps the struggle is over for the urban Caucasian hetro-normative gay male which is Aguirre-Livingston’s idea of post-mo. But the take away here is that Aguirre-Livingston’s idea of post-mo are people disconnected from the queer struggle; disconnected from those marginalized queers that still everyday face prejudice due to their gender identity, their orientation, their HIV status, their ethnicity and the various other queer subculture identities. Aguirre-Livingston’s post-mos greatest struggle is whether he is more like ‘Will’ instead of ‘Jack’ from Will and Grace. Aguirre-Livingston’s assessment that the queer culture has propelled itself so far that the struggle that shaped it is no longer relevant only serves to alarmingly highlight the disconnect between this elitist new-gen gay male attitude and the marginalized minority that are still facing prejudices based on how they choose to express their sexuality, gender identity, and orientation. Has the post-mo really made progress or have they just learnt to detach from symbols of their sexual identity in efforts to assimilate outside of the Village? Has the post-mo moved out of the Village to Queen West to turn a blind eye to the still marginalized members of the community?
Does this post-mo culture really define the twenty something queer generation emerging in Toronto? A 22 year old Caucasian hetro-normative gay male friend who lives and works in the village still finds leaving the village to Queen West as outside his comfort zone and yet he is more post-mo (according to Livingston’s criteria) then anyone I know. A 24 year old straight friend moved from BC to Toronto only to blossom into what some would call ‘camp’, performed drag and lives and works in the Village. They are both men who have come into their own and continue to grow in the security of the Village community; a community I dare say that is not irrelevant to them. Another positive friend who lives on queen west and who struggles on a daily bases with not only a disease but the social stigma attached to it, does not find the inclusion he finds at 519 counseling program irrelevant. One of the people featured in the article is an ex and we met right in the middle of it all at the Barn. Although I am not aware of his opinions now, in our time together he did not display any disdain for the Village or the Village culture. Nor did he imagine that the queer cause was over, the fight won, put your feet up and have espresso. Infact as an actor he looked for opportunities to encourage queer positive characters and mainstream queer representation in films and acting. Another face of post-mo phenomenon in Livingston’s article (Elie) shared his own experience of struggling with discrimination living in UAE or the beating at the hands of his parents due to his orientation, and the words of his mother, “being gay starts with AIDS and ends with AIDS” ring true to the kind of prejudice we still face. This is further exacerbated by Livingston’s assertion that post-mo male need not freak out should he occasionally have unsafe sex. I am not sure why Livingston has dyed the people he interviewed as agape un-aware apathetic people unengaged with current issues facing the queer identity? Their interview transcripts certainly don’t demonstrate that. Many actually related to the village scene and have a more inclusive view about the positive change towards a more queer friendly attitude emerging in the city. Elie, rightful so, describes it as a Livingston’s personal essay disguised as a new gay manifesto.
Ultimately it makes no difference where you have your drink whether on Church or Queen West. What we should be working towards is inclusion not exclusion. Can my timid friend go for a night out at the Beaver and have a good time? Can my ‘camp’ friend go to Margaret in drag if he chooses and not feel an outsider – outside of the village? This is the inclusive culture we should be building. We should not sideline by glamorizing terms like ‘Post-mo’, closeting the rest of the Mo’s from being comfortable in being who they are, not segregating queer culture by coining yet another term to emphasize how not to act, where not to be, and what not to wear.
I am glad that Livingston shared his opinion. It helped me introspect on my sense of tolerance and the apathy which I demonstrate as the diverse members of the community attempt to find a place and community in the queer culture to shape and be shaped by the challenges facing queers today. This is the true dawn of a new gay.
Invariably the struggles of our past pave the way for future generation’s liberties and we have indeed come a long way and we are glad for it. But those liberties are easily taken away if we rest on the laurels of, or worse foster contempt for what has been accomplished. So to answer Aguirre-Livingston’s question, “is there even a gay struggle to be had anymore?” There is always a struggle to be had. A struggle to lend our voice to oppression around the world; a struggle to break down barriers within our own communities; a struggle to share the liberties we enjoy; a struggle to change the way we think; a struggle against exclusivity; a struggle against apathy. That is what will propel us forward to the dawn of the new gay as a community, as a society, and perhaps most importantly, as individuals.
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