http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._N._Taber
I read yesterday that openly gay USA TV host Ellen De Generes recently made a tearful appeal to America’s young gay people facing prejudice following a series of deaths. She is reported as saying the US faces a ‘wake-up call’ after student Tyler Clementi leapt to his death after his room mate allegedly a romantic meeting with a man and streamed it on the web. This is appalling. Our hearts must go out to Tyler, his family and friends as well as the families and friends of all those driven to such lengths by sick, ignorant cowards. For that is what bullying is, the work of narrow minded, bigoted cowards.
Comments by people like rapper 50 Cent don’t help. He is reported as refusing to apologise after he appeared to urge gay men to commit suicide in a rant on Twitter. Nor is it the first time he has aired homophobic views. In 2004 he told Playboy magazine ‘I don’t like gay people around me because I am not comfortable with what their thoughts are……but women who like women, that’s cool.’ What a nice man! And what an ego! As if any gay man would give such a jerk a second thought…!!
This is the 21st century, for goodness sake. By now, homophobia like racism should be stone dead. Instead, both are very much alive and kicking. Interestingly, in the West, where some people would probably think twice about saying anything that might be construed as racist these days, gay people are often considered fair game by the less enlightened among the heterosexual majority. Do they realise, I wonder, what a good many ordinary, decent people think of them?
People in the public eye have a responsibility to lead by example, surely? Thank goodness for those who not only have the courage to be openly gay but will also speak up for us; we should not underestimate their contribution to the fight against homophobia.
While I am not impressed by today’s celebrity culture, there is no denying that celebrities exert enormous influence in society, especially over impressionable young people. That is what makes 50 Cent’s rant so irresponsible and inexcusable. Of course he is entitled to his opinions and I would be the last person to deny anyone freedom of speech. But those in the public eye do have a responsibility to lead by example. The BAD news is that many don’t. The GOOD news is that more do than don’t. Unfortunately, it’s invariably those that don’t who make a splash in the media and exert a bad influence, especially on impressionable young people and fans.
I well remember how it was when I was a young gay teenager and in my early 20s when homosexuality was a criminal offence here in the UK. It was tough and I contemplated suicide more than once…until I found life, beauty and hope in nature and began to understand I am as I was born and there is nothing wrong, sinful or unnatural about that.
They’ have a lot to answer for…
THEY, WHO ARE 'THEY'?
They said I should
have stood up to the bullies
who tormented me
each day, that they would
have run away
had I not made so vulnerable
a picture, fair game
for any small-minded
conjecture
They said I should
have stood up to the thug
who demanded
I key n my P.I.N. to obtain
my own ransom
from a handy cash machine
or I’d be certain
to have makeshift surgery
on my spleen
They said I would
be a fool to dare embark
on a gay lifestyle,
as it would only bring me pain,
a wasted life;
better to go straight (they said)
prove to everyone
how I'm a 'real' man'
and take a wife…
They said I could
not survive in today's world
where life
is all about surviving a rat race
where 'real' men
need to walk tall, be strong..
but I ignored them,
went my own way, resolved
to prove them wrong
Let the bullies
have their say, web trolls
and gossips
do their worst, I will
overcome
with (more than) a little help
from my friends,
(hopefully) family too,
and win through
Copyright R N Taber 2005
[Note: First published as 'They' in A Feeling for the Quickness of Time by R. N. Taber, Assembly Books, 2005.]
Why is it, I wonder that homophobes love a bigoted rant? Could it be perhaps that they are frustrated by their own sexuality? Regular readers will be familiar with this next poem; it has appeared on the blog before. In the context of this post, I feel it bears repeating yet again. [If interested, you can see/hear me reading it on the 4th plinth in Trafalgar Square last year as part of sculptor Antony Gormley’s One & Other ‘live’ sculpture. [One reason I included the poem is because homophobic attacks, in particular on gay men, had been on the rise in the London area for some time.]
http://www.webarchive.org.uk/wayback/archive/20100223121732/oneandother.co.uk/participants/Roger_T
The web stream had a global audience and it may be of some reassurance to any distressed gay person anywhere in the world that I received messages of support from all over.
Stuff the homophobes! We are all human beings and, as such, have a right to live our lives in peace and freedom, regardless of colour, creed, sex…and sexuality.
ODE TO A HOMOPHOBE
You parade your macho like a trophy
and frequently abuse gay men,
but if so confident in your sexuality
why this crass overreaction?
You say gay people are sad, sick cases,
at the very least immoral,
yet you go to church, sing His praises
(and expect Him to be grateful?)
You say being gay is a mortal sin,
love to take the moral high…
yet what less right gay men and women
to love and be loved till they die?
Gay people need to give truth a name
and learn to give it substance;
Homophobes would never dare the same
for fear of exposing their ignorance
We are all God’s children, the churches cry,
each worthy of His love and our own;
Yet, time after time. their holy leaders lie,
leave gay people to pray alone
The century is changing it has to be said,
a War on Terror all around.
and while one homophobe wishes us dead,
it is a war without end
Copyright R N Taber 2007
[Note: Despite the title, the poem is, of course, also a villanelle, first published in Accomplices to Illusion by R. N. Taber, Assembly Books, 2007]
I read yesterday that openly gay USA TV host Ellen De Generes recently made a tearful appeal to America’s young gay people facing prejudice following a series of deaths. She is reported as saying the US faces a ‘wake-up call’ after student Tyler Clementi leapt to his death after his room mate allegedly a romantic meeting with a man and streamed it on the web. This is appalling. Our hearts must go out to Tyler, his family and friends as well as the families and friends of all those driven to such lengths by sick, ignorant cowards. For that is what bullying is, the work of narrow minded, bigoted cowards.
Comments by people like rapper 50 Cent don’t help. He is reported as refusing to apologise after he appeared to urge gay men to commit suicide in a rant on Twitter. Nor is it the first time he has aired homophobic views. In 2004 he told Playboy magazine ‘I don’t like gay people around me because I am not comfortable with what their thoughts are……but women who like women, that’s cool.’ What a nice man! And what an ego! As if any gay man would give such a jerk a second thought…!!
This is the 21st century, for goodness sake. By now, homophobia like racism should be stone dead. Instead, both are very much alive and kicking. Interestingly, in the West, where some people would probably think twice about saying anything that might be construed as racist these days, gay people are often considered fair game by the less enlightened among the heterosexual majority. Do they realise, I wonder, what a good many ordinary, decent people think of them?
People in the public eye have a responsibility to lead by example, surely? Thank goodness for those who not only have the courage to be openly gay but will also speak up for us; we should not underestimate their contribution to the fight against homophobia.
While I am not impressed by today’s celebrity culture, there is no denying that celebrities exert enormous influence in society, especially over impressionable young people. That is what makes 50 Cent’s rant so irresponsible and inexcusable. Of course he is entitled to his opinions and I would be the last person to deny anyone freedom of speech. But those in the public eye do have a responsibility to lead by example. The BAD news is that many don’t. The GOOD news is that more do than don’t. Unfortunately, it’s invariably those that don’t who make a splash in the media and exert a bad influence, especially on impressionable young people and fans.
I well remember how it was when I was a young gay teenager and in my early 20s when homosexuality was a criminal offence here in the UK. It was tough and I contemplated suicide more than once…until I found life, beauty and hope in nature and began to understand I am as I was born and there is nothing wrong, sinful or unnatural about that.
They’ have a lot to answer for…
THEY, WHO ARE 'THEY'?
They said I should
have stood up to the bullies
who tormented me
each day, that they would
have run away
had I not made so vulnerable
a picture, fair game
for any small-minded
conjecture
They said I should
have stood up to the thug
who demanded
I key n my P.I.N. to obtain
my own ransom
from a handy cash machine
or I’d be certain
to have makeshift surgery
on my spleen
They said I would
be a fool to dare embark
on a gay lifestyle,
as it would only bring me pain,
a wasted life;
better to go straight (they said)
prove to everyone
how I'm a 'real' man'
and take a wife…
They said I could
not survive in today's world
where life
is all about surviving a rat race
where 'real' men
need to walk tall, be strong..
but I ignored them,
went my own way, resolved
to prove them wrong
Let the bullies
have their say, web trolls
and gossips
do their worst, I will
overcome
with (more than) a little help
from my friends,
(hopefully) family too,
and win through
Copyright R N Taber 2005
[Note: First published as 'They' in A Feeling for the Quickness of Time by R. N. Taber, Assembly Books, 2005.]
Why is it, I wonder that homophobes love a bigoted rant? Could it be perhaps that they are frustrated by their own sexuality? Regular readers will be familiar with this next poem; it has appeared on the blog before. In the context of this post, I feel it bears repeating yet again. [If interested, you can see/hear me reading it on the 4th plinth in Trafalgar Square last year as part of sculptor Antony Gormley’s One & Other ‘live’ sculpture. [One reason I included the poem is because homophobic attacks, in particular on gay men, had been on the rise in the London area for some time.]
http://www.webarchive.org.uk/wayback/archive/20100223121732/oneandother.co.uk/participants/Roger_T
The web stream had a global audience and it may be of some reassurance to any distressed gay person anywhere in the world that I received messages of support from all over.
Stuff the homophobes! We are all human beings and, as such, have a right to live our lives in peace and freedom, regardless of colour, creed, sex…and sexuality.
ODE TO A HOMOPHOBE
You parade your macho like a trophy
and frequently abuse gay men,
but if so confident in your sexuality
why this crass overreaction?
You say gay people are sad, sick cases,
at the very least immoral,
yet you go to church, sing His praises
(and expect Him to be grateful?)
You say being gay is a mortal sin,
love to take the moral high…
yet what less right gay men and women
to love and be loved till they die?
Gay people need to give truth a name
and learn to give it substance;
Homophobes would never dare the same
for fear of exposing their ignorance
We are all God’s children, the churches cry,
each worthy of His love and our own;
Yet, time after time. their holy leaders lie,
leave gay people to pray alone
The century is changing it has to be said,
a War on Terror all around.
and while one homophobe wishes us dead,
it is a war without end
Copyright R N Taber 2007
[Note: Despite the title, the poem is, of course, also a villanelle, first published in Accomplices to Illusion by R. N. Taber, Assembly Books, 2007]
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