Just when we thought Pope Francis was super cool and down with the LGBTQ community, he had to say some fucked-up shit!
ARTICLE HERE (also: Buzzfeed does news now?)
Although these comments weren't exactly uttered in the U.S., they do have implications for millions of Americans who identify as Catholic (and Catholic and queer, like yours truly). This goes to show the reality of a non-linear, non-"progressive" view of LGBTQ history and the fact that individuals can both be "helping" and "hurting" people/causes simultaneously. We should apply this same outlook to historical figures: although some may have helped the Gay Rights movement, etc., it doesn't mean that they didn't exclude certain groups and harm individuals through their actions as well.
--Luke
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ReplyDeleteThat is really disappointing. I was kind of upset back when I saw that The Advocate named Pope Francis person of the year. I think this brings up a few issues including the way Western media may have been representing the Pope in such a way that expressed more liberal values than he may uphold. Further, although a little more removed from the particular issue at hand, given that I do not know if Pope Francis has ever said "LGBT," I also think it brings up the way that "LGBT" can be used as a stand-in for "gay and lesbian." That seems to make the phrase's user appear more on top of contemporary notions of gender and sexuality while making it seem as though issues regarding same-sex desire capture all the concerns of LGBTQ people.
ReplyDeleteBut it really does bring up great issues as far as the doing of history and how to regard people, groups, and events that help and hurt LGBTQ rights, especially from within the LGBTQ community. It does seem to arise so much in this course and like that will continue. For instance, I'm thinking about the split in factions fighting for gay rights after Stonewall, with the (white) Gay Activists Alliance lasting longer than the more radical Gay Liberation Front. Or I'm thinking about the "It Gets Better Project." At the same time that it has likely saved lives, it also carries forth the ideal of for young LGBT people of being able to incorporate themselves into the neoliberal enclaves of society, ultimately eclipsing important issues on how populations are marked over longer periods of time.