So I'm kinda late in catching this story but nonetheless I think it's worth sharing.The Boston Globe reports that the tide of acceptance has turned murky in Provincetown as straight people are complaining about harassment from gay residents and visitors to the New England gay hub. WTF?
Straight people can go anywhere they want and hold hands, be fat, be annoying and obnoxious with their offspring and now they want to go to the one of three places in this country where gay people can just "be" and they want to be coddled and fawned over. Sorry, but no.
One woman was horrified that she was taunted for signing a petition AGAINST gay marriage in Ptown.
Mind you, I've advocated for gay people to just shut up and let institutions like the church promote their own policies for membership but the knife cuts both ways. The gay community is entitled to its own space in the world and we have revitalized Provincetown and we're damn proud of it as a gay destination. James and I have taken our families there and we love seeing straight people in Ptown, but that's our turf ("our" meaning the gay community, James and I just rent a house up there) and anyone who wants to upset that balance is in for a battle.
Forget the taunting the straights are going through. Perhaps the biggest threat to the bohemian spirit of Ptown, a spirit that makes it more accessible for some folks than say, Fire Island, are uppety gay men themselves who want to condo-fy the town and prop a Starbuck's and Pottery Barn on every last corner of Commercial Street. Check out this article from last year's NY Times.
Mind you, I've advocated for gay people to just shut up and let institutions like the church promote their own policies for membership but the knife cuts both ways.
ReplyDeleteNo, I think I would rather promote the pure atheistic idea of free inquiry and all that musty old stuff, rather than "shutting up" so as not to hurt someones feelings.
And while I DO think its acceptable to harass someone for signing an anti gay petition in ptown, I DON'T think ANY group should have some saced sanctioned "space". Thats dangerous, leftist, multiculturalist tribalism, and it's very destructive.