Grandma’ma was right . Beauty is pain. I have been working out 5 times or more a week for the past few weeks in preparation for White Party 2010. I officially busted my White Party cherry last this year. It was a amazing. Lady Gaga rocked the main event. The DJ s that spun were off the chains and the parade of hot boys was beyond belief. Thus prompting my current grueling workout routine. I consider myself to be all that and a bag of crack, but those White Party boys were a serious threat to my self esteem. I didn’t know that human beings could have bodies like that. I thought you only saw male physiques like that in the pages of comic books. The entire weekend I kept looking in the mirror and telling myself “I look good, I look really good” Now, that was true. Its just those boys look better. I am used to being one of the hottest guys in the room. There, I was smack dab in the middle. And nobody puts baby in the middle, unless there is a lot of liquor and lube involved.
One other phenomena I noticed in the dessert was all the gay divorces. Back before Prop 8, all the fags in Cali were getting married (or civil unioned ). I met a ridiculously hot couple named Jeff and Greg. They had been married for about 2 years. I found it quite interesting that these guys were in their mid 40’s and between the 2 of them had as many husbands as my dear grandmther. (that’s 8 for those keeping score). Now considering the fact that unions in California is relatively new legality, that means these guys have to switch husbands around the same time they change the oil in their cars. It like Jiffy Lube Marriage. But don’t all gay relationships require regular lubrication. With the great frivolity that these boys enter into marriage, they had the gall to brandish their wedding bands like some great symbol of power. It was akin to the way the comic Superhero Green Lantern used his power ring to defeat super villains. In this case the super villains would be the be single guys. And in the great comic book tradition, us single-villains would be no match for the Corp of Gay Lanterns.
Being a person of color, I could hardly want deny anyone a civil right…BUT…Marriage itself is a discriminatory institution. Ask any single female and she will tell you how they are often perceived as half a woman without a man. This perception is perpetuated more by other woman than men. And since so many gay men are bitches, they would just take that stereotype to the extreme. There is also an economic form of discrimination for us single-villains. There are over a thousand benefits that you gain just by putting a ring on it. Is it fair that single people have higher insurance rates and pay more in taxes? I think not. Some studies have shown that gays sometimes earn 30 % more than straight people. In this harsh economic climate shouldn’t the ‘moes be pulling their weight in taxes instead of buying their weight in Astroglide. The economic benefits that the Gay Lanterns would gain would just allow them to buy more stuff ( cars,houses, bigger rings) to make us single-villains seem like we have diabolical machinations that must be thwarted.
Some people have equated the struggle for a gay rights with the civil rights movement. I agree that there are similarities but people of color were actually economically oppressed in the 60’s. The gays of this era …. not so much. The most similar minority would be the Jews. They had the Holocaust and centuries of antisemitism, but in spite of that they have a rich sense of tradition, a strong community, and (like the gays) duckets by the buckets. Do you really think that straight politicians are for gay marriage because its the right thing to do? Its the gay money. Take Iowa for example: Now I have never been , but My aunt Reggie is a graduate of Iowa University and she said that Dubuque was nauseatingly boring.. She often refers to the city as ” Da Puke.” When Hurricane Katrina left thousands of people homeless, the state of Iowa allocated millions for victims of Katrina for housing, job training and other social services. They expected hundreds of people to move there. Those programs were shut down because no one showed up. People would rather stay on cot in the Superdome than a condo in Sioux City. Admittedly, I don’t think I would want to go from the Big Easy to the Big…. well the big nothing. Iowa’s economy was his hard over the past few years. They were in need of a hero. So, they called in the Gay Lanterns.
The Gay Lanterns ,much like other superheroes, come in to save the day in tight spandex. Look how they rescued Vermont. Vermont was known for a few things. The state is famous for its abundance of White Cheddar and White People. According to Census data, It is the second whitest state in the Union. The only thing of color in Vermont is the Maple Syrup. I find it curious that the name of the state sounds close to the word vermin. And like Iowa, Vermont does not sound like a great place to visit or live. Then Vermont decided to let you put a ring on it and the gays flocked. I think the law allowing marriage was more about fiscal liberties not civil ones. A comprehensive UCLA study from March 2009 concluded that extending marriage to same-sex couples would boost Vermont’s economy by over $30.6 million in business activity over three years, which would in turn generate increases in state and local government sales tax and fee revenues by $3.3 million and create approximately 700 new jobs. Straight people like it because it brings the cash and gay people like it because it brings the ass. It is a well known fact that when gays move in property values sky rocket. Look at the way the NYC gays transformed Harlem from bitter hoes and garbage to Better Homes and Gardens.
What about love you say? What about it. Love and 25 bucks will get you a dime bag of weed. I am not saying that love is a bad thing but is it really the only thing? If love is so damn powerful, what do you need marriage for? Here are some lame ass reason people told me for why you get marriage and my retorts.
Companionship. Adopt a dog from the pound. In some ways its the same set up as a gay marriage. You keep feeding either a good piece of meat and they will learn to sit ,roll over,and stay
You want to start a family. Adopt a kid from pound. (thats right they call them orphanages). Or you could follow in the footstep of our beloved queen Madonna and just have a baby daddy situation. Lola seems to be doing fine though she was born out wedlock.
You want everyone to know about your love? Buy ad space in the Blade. If you got married you would have spent the money on the announcement anyway. Now that you don’t have to pay for a wedding ,you can buy a full page ad.
Commitment: Well, people also get committed to insane asylums. Guys think that marriage is a guarantee of their relationship. I am sorry but you can get divorced the only thing guaranteed is tax benefits and palimony payments.
In a strange turn of events, I marched in the Equality March in October. I went to see Lady Gaga speak and get laid. Mission accomplished on both. As Lady Gaga was affirming her commitment to gay rights to everyone on the National Mall, I realized something. I don’t have a problem with Gay Marriage, I have a problem with gay men. ( I know its a shocker). Its the concept that marriage will some how make gay relationships better and in turn make those who are married are 7better people. This creates yet another dividing line in the already fragmented gay community. We already have have enough lines in the sand that separate us. We are really judgmental when it come to race, socio economic status and physical appearance. And the rating are terribly subject. Do we really want married versus single to be one of the judgment we place ourselves.I hope not because I don’t need the pressure. In the comics, those who are chosen to be in the Green Lantern Corp( a very diverse group) are considered heroes before they got the ring. The ring just lets them do some things they couldn’t do before. Without the green power rings they are still a force for good. A wedding ring will not make you a better anything. If you think that it will , I can give you the number of a good therapist that can help you with your self esteem issues.