"Blog against heteronormativity"

Someone has declared today "Blog Against Heteronormativity Day." For me, there's an element of "why is this night different?"--being out about who I am isn't a once-a-year thing. But, like many another day for a cause, it's not a bad thing to focus on either a problem or a celebration.

I was talking to my girlfriend last night, and she mentioned that she'd been looking at her high school's alumni/reunion page. It's set up with pictures of graduates, both yearbook and (if they so choose) current, and any comments the person adds. She'd looked at 200 or so people's comments, all from her graduating class, and none of them mention a same-sex partner.

It seems more likely that the other queers in her graduating class aren't interested in the alumni stuff, or that they don't feel this is a safe place to be out, than that she's the only one. (She hasn't put in any comments.) And after a while, that's self-reinforcing: if you see 200 people you used to know, none of whom is out about a same-sex partner on the high school alumni website, you're less likely to decide to be the first than if you happen to be the third person to be writing any comments, whether or not either of the other two mentioned a partner of any gender. And less likely to mention your same-sex partner than if, skimming 200 other entries, you see a few that are clearly by queer classmates, and possibly some that are ambiguous (I use "partner" for my loves of both genders, and did so even when I had only one partner, not of my own gender; or someone might write something like "I'm living happily in Chicago with my beloved" and mentions a non-gender-specific name).

[Thanks to supergee for the pointer]

"Blog against heteronormativity"

Someone has declared today "Blog Against Heteronormativity Day." For me, there's an element of "why is this night different?"--being out about who I am isn't a once-a-year thing. But, like many another day for a cause, it's not a bad thing to focus on either a problem or a celebration.

I was talking to my girlfriend last night, and she mentioned that she'd been looking at her high school's alumni/reunion page. It's set up with pictures of graduates, both yearbook and (if they so choose) current, and any comments the person adds. She'd looked at 200 or so people's comments, all from her graduating class, and none of them mention a same-sex partner.

It seems more likely that the other queers in her graduating class aren't interested in the alumni stuff, or that they don't feel this is a safe place to be out, than that she's the only one. (She hasn't put in any comments.) And after a while, that's self-reinforcing: if you see 200 people you used to know, none of whom is out about a same-sex partner on the high school alumni website, you're less likely to decide to be the first than if you happen to be the third person to be writing any comments, whether or not either of the other two mentioned a partner of any gender. And less likely to mention your same-sex partner than if, skimming 200 other entries, you see a few that are clearly by queer classmates, and possibly some that are ambiguous (I use "partner" for my loves of both genders, and did so even when I had only one partner, not of my own gender; or someone might write something like "I'm living happily in Chicago with my beloved" and mentions a non-gender-specific name).

[Thanks to supergee for the pointer]

(no subject)

Even when I agree with them, I don't like people telling me what the appropriate perspective on something is. (This prompted by Vin Scelsa, during a WFUV fund drive.)

(no subject)

Even when I agree with them, I don't like people telling me what the appropriate perspective on something is. (This prompted by Vin Scelsa, during a WFUV fund drive.)

Purple penguin mug

My favorite mug, for several years, has been what we refer to as the "bunny mug," a busy design of brown rabbits on a cream-colored mug. It's one of a series of similar designs of, well, animal orgies marketed by Taylor & Ng around 1979. The design is incidental--however proverbial rabbits may be for such things, they don't even begin to carbonate my hormones. But it's large, holding about 16 ounces, and fits my hand well. We bought a couple of mugs from Cafe Press a while ago, and while the size is good, the china is too thick and thus heavy to be comfortable for me when it's full of tea.

They don't make those mugs anymore, but there's a reasonable second-hand market on eBay. I've bid on a few of these recently, and am the high bidder on a purple "Penguin Motif Mug." I may try to pick up more like it, or I may make another attempt to find new mugs of this size and shape. (The trick, if looking on eBay, is that they reissued the designs a few years later, on slightly smaller mugs--fine if you're collecting designs, not so good if the goal is a generous cup of tea or coffee.)

Purple penguin mug

My favorite mug, for several years, has been what we refer to as the "bunny mug," a busy design of brown rabbits on a cream-colored mug. It's one of a series of similar designs of, well, animal orgies marketed by Taylor & Ng around 1979. The design is incidental--however proverbial rabbits may be for such things, they don't even begin to carbonate my hormones. But it's large, holding about 16 ounces, and fits my hand well. We bought a couple of mugs from Cafe Press a while ago, and while the size is good, the china is too thick and thus heavy to be comfortable for me when it's full of tea.

They don't make those mugs anymore, but there's a reasonable second-hand market on eBay. I've bid on a few of these recently, and am the high bidder on a purple "Penguin Motif Mug." I may try to pick up more like it, or I may make another attempt to find new mugs of this size and shape. (The trick, if looking on eBay, is that they reissued the designs a few years later, on slightly smaller mugs--fine if you're collecting designs, not so good if the goal is a generous cup of tea or coffee.)