Jerked Knees and Conclusions Jumped
Sometimes the gay community can be a little sensitive.
We are often persecuted or abused or attached that we can be a little jumpy. You can only listen to so many news stories and right wing pundits preaching hate before you start to suspect that injustice is everywhere.
I ran afoul by whipping up a small storm of indignation after reading a Facebook status update of a friend (oh Facebook – what don’t you know). She remarked that she was ‘sad she couldn’t give blood”. I right away hit ‘comment’ and wrote something like ‘archaic and disgraceful rules that punish a minority are both wrong and unfair. That you are gay and can’t give blood in Canada is stupid and needs to be fought.’
My comment set off a series of comments before my young lesbian friend replied herself – “I can’t give blood because I am short. Jeez, how quickly everyone jumped on the gay bandwagon.”
I thought about this when I read in the paper that Edmonton MLA Doug Elniski is being asked to apologize for Twittering (oh, Twitter – what don’t we care) at Pride “I am surrounded by bumping and grinding lesbians wait 20 then send help.” And “That guy has size 14 stilettos” some queer activists have issued a ‘call to action’ and are demanding him to apologize for his homophobic attacks.
Really – ? Homophobic. I have been at local leather bar known as The Pumpjack and texted “surrounded by mating bears – help” does that make me homophobic. I have commented on things people are wearing – does that make transphobic? Now I don’t know this guy but there he was in a giddy and gaudy and over the top Pride Parade – an event he was attending and it looks like he was just making observational humour. He was straight guy saying what he saw and in some cases making a little quip. I am glad he was at the event in the first place.
Does anyone have any proof that he is homophobic or is it be inference based on his Twitter?
Arts Scene In Vancouver
I went and saw A New Brain put on by recent graduates of the musical theatre program. The story is about a gay composer in New York who suddenly collapses and has to have a brain operation. First things first – once again we are given a white exclusive show. This is the imaginary New York where all the people are white, like a Woody Allen film. It’s a cast of ten yet none are of colour. It kills me when I see young companies emulate what they see on the ‘grown up’ stages and put their shows in an imaginary world that doesn’t reflect society.
So beyond that how was the show? They have great voices (when the band didn’t drown them out). The songs were fun and the staging was good. The gay couple were cute but a little to ‘pat you on the shoulder to show that I care’ rather than showing they are really in love.
As actors the students were great singers. More layered personalities and less obvious choices would make it more compelling. Remember, it is always more interesting to see someone fighting an emotion rather than indulging in it.
I would however see all of them again in something else – they are young artists and they will grow as they get more experience. Many of them demonstrated that they would have very long careers in musical theatre.
I also saw the co-host of OUT TV’s Hot Pink Shorts – Dianna David’s kid show – I helped work on it before it went on a 80 city tour and it has gone remarkable changes and growth. She is a dynamic performer and the kid’s who saw the show about creativity and acceptance loved it – it was fun and provided a jumping off point for class discussions about tolerance.
Hope you are all swell. Got to get ready for another frantic Pride season in Vancouver.
Oh – don’t miss Tops & Bottoms – on OUT TV this fall – a show I produced and host. It’s going to be a lot of fun. But then again I could be jumping to conclusions.
Joyously
Middle Aged Fag
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Valerie Sing Turner Says:
June 29th, 2009 at 10:21 amVisit Valerie Sing Turner
Hey, David!
Kudos to you for continuing the crusade against the bizarre practice of white exclusive theatre in Canada and particularly in Vancouver. I think you’re on to something in the “monkey-see monkey-do”-type mentality, so I think the pressure has to be on the big monkeys to clean up their act! BTW, I ran in Jerry Wasserman at the recent arts summit here in Vancouver, and he mentioned that a magazine in Montreal is interested in publishing that fabulous chain of letters-to-the-editor on his website (www.vancouverplays.com) about (the lack of) diversity in theatre that was started by YOU! (I believe he’ll be in touch for permission.) You rock, DCJ!
Ambassador: David Allan King Says:
July 4th, 2009 at 11:24 amVisit Ambassador: David Allan King
That’s great Valerie! It’s easy to forget we celebrate Shakespearean theatre, women’s voices in theatre, the black theatre experience and so many other cultures and yet forget sometimes we just need a night out to see ourselves on stage! I have written about this as well in the recent anthology on Canadian Queer Theatre Queer Theatre in Canada (the seventh volume of ‘Critical Perspectives on Canadian Theatre in English’ series). This publication and the recent publication of Canada’s first anthology of Lesbian Plays (Coming Out in Canada) is a milestone for us – there are finally enough materials in Canada in print to teach a university course on queer theatre and queer performing arts, and at the University of Alberta and Concordia in Montreal, those courses have begun!