In the modern day, I think all of us believe we are accepting and liberal in our views of sexuality. However, with the recent issues and outrage surrounding the legalisation of same-sex marriage in America, it is clear that not everyone is as accepting as I initially believed. But why is any of this still an issue in the 21st century?
A few weeks ago Jaymi Henlsey, a member of X factor boy band Union J, publicly announced that he was gay. He says that since he came out to his parents at the age of fourteen he has received no negative comments towards his sexuality. Although it is great that he’s had a lot of support, and received even more since his homosexuality was discussed on the Xtra Factor, that support should never be doubted; it should be a given. People shouldn’t be applauded for supporting a friend or relative who admits they’re gay; again, it shouldn’t be something one has to ‘admit’. In the same way, why do people not ‘admit’ to being straight at a pivotal point in their lives? I know that if my friend, relative or even child came out to me as being homosexual I wouldn’t even bat an eye. I don’t believe I’m highly liberal in my views for thinking like this, I just believe that I am a decent human being. I absolutely hate it when people suddenly feel ‘weird’ around people when they find out they’re gay, as if finding out your female friend is a lesbian is the same as them declaring their love to you personally or wishing to infect you with their ‘lesbianism’. It doesn’t work like that. If it did surely all girls would be attracted to all boys and vice versa? That would be absurd. I’m not saying it should have been made obvious that Jaymi was gay (cue gay stereotype à la Rylan-style) but I do have issues with ‘admitting’ you’re gay, as if it’s been a huge criminal secret up until now.
Following on in the view that homosexuality is not ‘criminal’ in any way, same-sex marriage was legalised in nine American states this year (Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, and Washington) thanks to Barrack Obama being the first American president to publicly declare his support for same-sex marriage. If that doesn’t make you love him (or love him even more, in my case) then I don’t know what will. Again, it is not as though Obama should be seen as God-like for this act; he should just be seen as a decent human being. Now one of the most powerful countries in the world has legalised same-sex marriage, perhaps other countries (such as Great Britain) will follow suit. Already, eleven countries throughout the world (Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, South Africa, and Sweden) have legalised same-sex marriage in recent years, and why not? In 1952 the ‘Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders’ (DSM-I) listed homosexuality as a mental illness but a lot has changed since then, both socially and culturally. So in that spirit why can’t traditions, such as marriage, evolve with society too?
On a more cultural level is the music of Will Young. When Will won Pop Idol in 2002 his first single was ‘Evergreen’. Now admittedly, Will probably didn’t choose to release this song, nor was it an original, however the line “you’re the only girl that I need” makes me squirm whenever I hear it. It was as if Pop Idol was trying to squeeze Will into a pop mould which he would never fit, which is even more apparent when listening to his more recent albums. In contrast, his 2011 song ‘Jealousy’ completely rebels against this mould. The video to ‘Jealousy’ shows Will gazing at a fellow male trapeze artist (a strange fantasy career as Will is actually afraid of heights) doing a routine with a woman whilst singing about the ‘burning’ caused by jealousy. I wish I hadn’t found this concept refreshing and I wish I didn’t have to call Will ‘brave’ for presenting this idea in a music video, but I feel that that is unfortunately the case. However looking at the issue optimistically, I would like to believe that it’s not that artists wouldn’t produce such a video; it’s that many don’t feel the need to. Perhaps even if an artist is gay they don’t feel the need to explicitly show it in public but prefer to keep the matter private. It just angers me that to this day people can’t just sing what they want, to who they want.
I wonder if when Will Young sang the line “I’d love to say ‘I do’, give everything to you” in his 2003 song ‘Leave Right Now’ he considered whether or not he would be able to say “I do” to the man he loved in a UK church ten years on. Who knows, having just entered 2013, it is still possible.
Image Sources:
1. Union J: http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/x-factors-union-j-want-1469241
2. American map: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F…
3. Will Young: http://www.buzzjack.com/forums…