Who are The Gay, and What Do They Want?

While Oprah continues to educate her viewers with remedial studies in gay life. Whatever Andrew Sullivan may say about the end of gay culture, Ms. O acts as though her audience is still pretty clueless when it comes to gay realities. She recently ran an explainer episode called "When I Knew I Was Gay." Think of it as part two to her visit with Jonathan Plummer. Maybe the third installment can explore how deep-seated, sometimes violent homophobia in Jamaica encourages young black men to "play straight."

Sully on the other hand decides that gays are now fully integrated into modern American life and so the need for gay ghetto "safe spaces" is disappearing. (An odd thesis from someone who spends all his time in Dupont and P'town.) He cites emails like this one from "today's gay youth":

I HATE the stereotypes and the labels put on gay people. I hate the idea of West Hollywood and the Rainbow. I am normal. I do not like the idea that I have to identify myself as gay. Homosexuality is still a touchy subject with some people, but it is definitely not taboo. Most of the time I don't even think about my sexuality, it's just not an issue anymore. ... I am gay. I am different, but I am not weird. I am not inferior. I am normal, I am one of the guys.

Hmm, that's one 20-year-old SoCal college jock who doth protest too much, methinks. (I bet he got Andrew hot under the collar though.) For a better rejoinder to Sullivan's argument, see this letter.