« Go back a post || Return to G-A-Y homepage || Haul tail to next post »
03/06/2008
But what about America Ferrera? Is she ready?
If we had to choose just one journalistic cliché to cite as the most annoying, the old hackneyed chestnut wherein writers present America as being covered with eggshells on which we should fear to tread would be near near the top of the list. We're talking about things like:
Is America ready for an African-American president?
Is America ready for a female president?
Is America ready for gay marriage?
And now the AP delivers the latest in this tradition of oversensitivity vis-à-vis our nation's willingness to accommodate:
Is America ready for a gay 'Idol'? [AP via Yahoo!]
Geez, when did America become such a delicate little flower that can't handle reality? And whose America are we even talking about? Certainly not the one in which this writer or most of his friends and loved ones swim. Shouldn't the AP's question really read:
Is a certain portion of America ready to set aside their biases and judge contestants on their merits as both singers and people, just as they would their heterosexual counterparts?
Look, we don't want to bash the employment of lazy conceits, as it's admittedly something we all do from time to time. It's easy to speak in generalizations and to employ tested truisms in order to convey ideas, and we Americans are certainly a people who enjoy ease (see, there's another trite platitude). But by questioning America's ability to adapt to ideas that are not at all wrong or controversial but that are simply RIGHT AND DECENT, we do Lady Liberty a disservice. We make it sound as if America is defined by the non-acceptance that has blemished U.S. history, not the progress that has emboldened it!
A black or female president? Equality? A gay "Idol"? The real question should be: Is America ready to tell those who AREN'T ready that they're standing in opposition to the ideals that make this country great?
Your thoughts
I find it disturbing that in 2008 we are still asking these same questions. Are we ready? In reality there are many people who are ready, as you pointed out. There are, however, still many people who are not.
It's time we move beyond the trite concepts of race and gender divides and on to a society of progress, acceptance and tolerance.
Even so, I tread lightly on this issue as an African-American man. Racism, sexism and classism still exist today. We should not ignore that in an effort to move past it.
I grow tired of generalization and perceptions based on misguided concepts. When will a person's capability take precedence over their skin color or gender or sexuality? Lets not forget, but let's consciously work on moving forward.
Posted by: Ramon Johnson | Mar 6, 2008 8:49:29 AM
comments powered by Disqus
