Bill Weintraub

Cause and Effect

12-21-2001

CAUSE

"All men are potentially gay. The male G-spot is in the anus."

-- Boy George during an appearance on Britain's Frank Skinner Show, as quoted by The Pink Paper, Nov. 23.

[Boy George, who it would appear is anatomically challenged, is effeminate, promiscuous, and an analist -- and a darling of mainstream gay male culture.]

CAUSE

"The unique advantage of gay male sex is that you can, without props, both be pitcher and catcher."

-- OUT magazine editor Brendan Lemon

[OUT says it has a circulation of 100,000 per month, which, using an old-time journalist's rule of thumb, means that it's seen by 400,000 people 12 times a year.]

So here we have an icon of gay culture to both gay and nongay people, and an editor who controls access to 400,000 readers per month, telling us that gay sex is anal sex.

EFFECT

an email from a first-time visitor to HeroicHomosex:

"I am surprised that other gay/bi -males have the same fantasies as I.

"I agree with your point of view. I wish I had the courage to come out as you have.

"I will forever bear the burden of hypocrisy and cowardice for what I have failed to-....."

[End of email]

The author of this email is neither a hypocrite nor a coward. He's simply someone for whom cultural forces and cultural messages were too strong, and which drowned out his inner voice.

I hope that with the help of the men on this site, he'll find it again.

So, you're not cowards, you're not hypocrites, and you're not alone -- but you have to be very clear about the weight and power of these constant and pervasive cultural messages.

And you have to fight back -- you can't just sit on your hands while more of these lies are generated every day.

That means posting -- here and on other sites -- and telling your friends and other significant people in your life that you don't do anal.

As always dudes,