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Oct. 8th, 2004 04:14 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
vicarzGo to http://www.livejournal.com/users/_blackjack_/141039.html and get mad about 10 mil going to an anti-feminist special interest group that was once chaired by VP Cheney's wife to teach Iraqi women to be more subservient.
More blackness (I forgot the rest of that post) Another reason why I'm black
Last semester in civpro I talked frequently with a black girl, married, kids, having their house built, good $bling. She was really into the race issue, and had a hard time talking about it w/o getting emotional. We talked about race, and I pointed out to her when cases were intentionally designed to raise your ire to condition you to thinking rationally about emotionally charged issues. Girl was smart and hard-working as hell, kinda cute but did I mention married with kids?
This semester we had a conversation before property law about the housing discrimination cases. The conversation shifted to constitutional law, and the 14th amendment cases (race issues). I went into my spiel about how I support a constitutional amendment against gay marriage (I think that our history of discrimination and shame should be burned into the written constitution so when we grow up every generation that studies the constitution will see this disgraceful history, because I believe in a matter of years any such idiocy will be stricken from the law). Before I got to the funny ironic twist, she chimed in with "Yeah I instinctively support a constitutional amendment against gay marriage, but I can't really cite a legal reason why." I'm used to being friends with people I disagree with, and tend to see how deep the issue is before I get riled up (yes I've changed).
Right about then, a white girl joined in, asking "Wait, aren't you the President of GALLA?" The uncomfortable look on my black friend's face was priceless! I said "Well now the VP, but you've got to hear me out on this one." I finished my lil spiel about how each generation of students would see the shame of slavery, prohibition, suffrage for women, and then gay discrimination would be added to the list. Class started about then, so I left the poor girl w/o the opportunity to do that "Oh but it's all cool" thing that people do when they are embarrassed that they may have been offensive.
I forgot about the whole thing, until this week when the girl walked up and started a conversation with me. In Const, she sits across the room so we don't talk in there. It was unusual for her to come up like this, and we talked about nothing. It was very obvious that she was wanting to make some sort of social movement to demonstrate that she wasn't just some bigot (biggott!). I talked with her as friendly as ever, thinking I was probably receiving 'token' behavior. I pretended I had no idea why she was talking to me, she even said "I thought I'd come over because...well we hadn't talked in a while). Don't get me wrong - I was honest, I like talking to her, but I believe the point of the conversation was to demonstrate that she didn't 'hate fags.' I let her do her penance, using my best theater while on the inside I giggled and was happy that she did feel the need.
This is one of those areas I'm like stealth black - once identified as a fag, I receive that token behavior. I wonder if people refer to me in their mind when they say "Oh I have gay friends, gays don't bug me blah blah." I don't mind it, at least it's a start. On the other hand, being the token gay guy when you're not gay gets a little wearing.
Last night I was called a man, or told I had been a man about something. Creepy. I think I have grown up a lot in the last few years, but I still feel very child-like. I hope I always do.
Mint Lindor truffles: serving size 3 balls, calories 220, fat calories 170, protein 2g, carb 15g
More blackness (I forgot the rest of that post) Another reason why I'm black
Last semester in civpro I talked frequently with a black girl, married, kids, having their house built, good $bling. She was really into the race issue, and had a hard time talking about it w/o getting emotional. We talked about race, and I pointed out to her when cases were intentionally designed to raise your ire to condition you to thinking rationally about emotionally charged issues. Girl was smart and hard-working as hell, kinda cute but did I mention married with kids?
This semester we had a conversation before property law about the housing discrimination cases. The conversation shifted to constitutional law, and the 14th amendment cases (race issues). I went into my spiel about how I support a constitutional amendment against gay marriage (I think that our history of discrimination and shame should be burned into the written constitution so when we grow up every generation that studies the constitution will see this disgraceful history, because I believe in a matter of years any such idiocy will be stricken from the law). Before I got to the funny ironic twist, she chimed in with "Yeah I instinctively support a constitutional amendment against gay marriage, but I can't really cite a legal reason why." I'm used to being friends with people I disagree with, and tend to see how deep the issue is before I get riled up (yes I've changed).
Right about then, a white girl joined in, asking "Wait, aren't you the President of GALLA?" The uncomfortable look on my black friend's face was priceless! I said "Well now the VP, but you've got to hear me out on this one." I finished my lil spiel about how each generation of students would see the shame of slavery, prohibition, suffrage for women, and then gay discrimination would be added to the list. Class started about then, so I left the poor girl w/o the opportunity to do that "Oh but it's all cool" thing that people do when they are embarrassed that they may have been offensive.
I forgot about the whole thing, until this week when the girl walked up and started a conversation with me. In Const, she sits across the room so we don't talk in there. It was unusual for her to come up like this, and we talked about nothing. It was very obvious that she was wanting to make some sort of social movement to demonstrate that she wasn't just some bigot (biggott!). I talked with her as friendly as ever, thinking I was probably receiving 'token' behavior. I pretended I had no idea why she was talking to me, she even said "I thought I'd come over because...well we hadn't talked in a while). Don't get me wrong - I was honest, I like talking to her, but I believe the point of the conversation was to demonstrate that she didn't 'hate fags.' I let her do her penance, using my best theater while on the inside I giggled and was happy that she did feel the need.
This is one of those areas I'm like stealth black - once identified as a fag, I receive that token behavior. I wonder if people refer to me in their mind when they say "Oh I have gay friends, gays don't bug me blah blah." I don't mind it, at least it's a start. On the other hand, being the token gay guy when you're not gay gets a little wearing.
Last night I was called a man, or told I had been a man about something. Creepy. I think I have grown up a lot in the last few years, but I still feel very child-like. I hope I always do.
Mint Lindor truffles: serving size 3 balls, calories 220, fat calories 170, protein 2g, carb 15g
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no subject
Date: 2004-10-08 05:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-08 06:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-08 11:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-08 10:43 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-08 10:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-08 12:54 pm (UTC)What lunatic said that to you? Consider the source hun :-)
I think you & I have really grown as people over the last..um..10 years or so. Just in our friendship alone, you've proven yourself to be a "real man" on many occasions. When I have been in super-bitch-mode, your behavior and reaction to my meanness was firm, yet you did not retaliate or attempt to demean me in any manner. You don't need too look far to see men around your age acting like fucking 3 year olds with the 'nany nany boo boo' attitude.
We are both still just 2 big goofy kids having fun (and we will probably always be kids at heart), we just have possibly out grown the act of being so hurtful and lashing out so quickly.
EWWWWW that was mushy. Do you FEEL THE LOVE yet?
Pwnd
Date: 2004-10-08 12:57 pm (UTC)