4
Recreation and Leisure for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community
Jodi M. Iwata
Instructor: Linda Levine
December 5, 2005
In fulfillment of RECL 111 requirement
Introduction
Leisure, as a human right for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people, was largely inaccessible forty years ago. Stigma associated with alternative sexual lifestyles often forced these individuals to repress their emotions thereby denying them from living life to the fullest extent. Fortunately, progressive movements have given greater recognition to the LGBT community. This paper focuses on changes in leisure such as pride celebrations, religious institutions, community support centers, and popular mass media which has improved the quality of life in the LGBT community.
The Stonewall Riots
The Stonewall Riots of 1969 in New York City was the turning point in the struggle for social justice and human rights of homosexuals ("Socialist Today,” 1999). Today it serves as a powerful symbol representing the community’s first stand against oppression and demands for equality ("Socialist Today,” 1999). The gay and lesbian community has also grown and now encompasses disenfranchised bisexual and transgender groups.
The Importance of Pride Celebrations
Over the years, pride celebrations have become a ubiquitous expression of freedom for the LGBT community. Simply known as “Pride,” these celebrations are held annually around the world. Companies such as eDIRP (Pride spelled backwards) exist specifically to cater to tourism generated by the popularity of these global celebrations (“eDIRP”, 2005). The most famous pride event is the San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Celebration. Historically, San Francisco has been synonymous with the LGBT community. Writers have referred to San Francisco as the "world's gay and lesbian capital" (Apell, 1998). The Castro District was suggested by Fitzgerald (1986) as being the first gay neighborhood in the country. Howe (2001) elevates these arguments by suggesting that San Francisco is much more than a capital; it is the queer homeland. In this respect, Howe believes that it holds symbolic refuge for LGBT people and fuels their desire “to make the pilgrimage to the homeland.” This statement is exemplified by a visitor describing his/her reverence for the San Francisco celebration by proclaiming the following:
“I am visiting from Germany, and we do have many gay rights groups there and events. Everyone there talks about San Francisco and about this weekend. I've been hearing about it since I was a teenager and now am finally here, amongst my people, all these beautiful gay people. This is the biggest of all the Pride events.... If you haven't been to S.F. Pride, you can't even call yourself gay!” (Howe, 2001)
Others such as Z. described her sense of solidarity at Pride partly because this setting was “safe” for her (Howe, 2001). Thus, pride celebrations, a form of leisure, liberate those partaking in alternative sexual lifestyles.
The Establishment of LGBT Religious Institutions
Religion has often been taboo to the LGBT community as traditional interpretations of the Bible do not tolerate homosexuality. However, the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches was founded on October 6, 1968 by Reverend Troy D. Perry in Huntington Park, California with 12 worshipers (“UFMCC,” 2005). The UFMCC (2005) presents alternative interpretations of the Bible especially in regards to homosexuality while maintaining a mainline-style church body. Thus the UFMCC makes religion, an active form of leisure, accessible to worshipers previously disenfranchised from erstwhile congregations. The success of this organization is reflected in their numbers. In 2001, the UFMCC (2005) boasted a conservative estimate of 44,000 members with over 300 churches in 22 countries. Surprisingly, while metropolitan areas such as San Francisco are LGBT strongholds, the highest concentration of UFMCC establishments are located in the Bible Belt (“UFMCC,” 2005). The Bible Belt consists of states like Texas and Florida, where according to Perry (2005), churchgoing is a habit, if not a social must: “It's what people talk about at work--it doesn't matter whether you are straight or gay". The UFMCC also promotes initiatives on HIV/AIDS, poverty, human rights and social justice (“UFMCC,” 2005). However, this is not to say that the UFMCC has widespread acceptance. In 1992, the National Council of Churches denied the UFMCC observer and membership status (“UFMCC,” 2005). Yet this institution represents a positive change creating greater accessibility to religious leisure for the LGBT community.
The Benefits of Community Centers
The past decades have experienced heightened social awareness regarding the rights of LGBT people. Consequently, many cities have created LGBT social institutions which support social services and leisure opportunities. In the Bay Area, these centers include the Billy DeFrank Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center and the Lavender Youth Recreation and Information Center (LYRIC). The DeFrank Center of San Jose (2005) opened in 1981 in response to concerns over human right violations as Santa Clara County residents voted to repeal ordinances extending housing and employment protection to lesbians and gay men. Today, the DeFrank Center (2005) prides itself in inspiring purposeful action and providing a safe place for gathering regardless of age or background. LYRIC (2005), founded in 1988, is a San Francisco community center for LGBT youth below age 23. To date, LYRIC (2005) has studied the trends of its participants and report that youth are coming out at younger ages. This is an indication that society has made strides in teaching tolerance and creating safe places for individuals to confront their differences. However, they have also observed that a growing number of LYRIC participants are challenged by homelessness, family rejection, unemployment, violence, HIV/AIDS or lack of means for basic survival (“LYRIC,” 2005). Thus, centers such as the DeFrank Center and LYRIC are important as they offer constructive programs focused on education and the personal well being of LGBT people.
Will and Grace
The fourth change, one that many heterosexuals can relate to, is the influence the LGBT community has had on the media. The most prominent event was the introduction of comedy sitcom Will and Grace which provided America with insight to the gay community. The sitcom, according to Lipitz (Castiglia, 2004), has its roots in nineteenth century forms of commercialized leisure. Thus the advent of Will and Grace represents a positive portrayal of the gay community through a leisure source that extends into mainstream culture. Characters, Jack and Will, are gay. However, their characteristics were developed for viewers to recognize that a range of positions exist within gay identity (Castiglia, 2004). For example, Jack is “the gayest character”, and offers audiences the unprecedented spectacle of gay subculture interaction depicted as a practice of shared pleasures (Castiglia, 2004). On the contrary, Will stands up for gay pride against straight and homophobic audiences (Castiglia, 2004) sans the pleasure aspect that Jack so adeptly uses. Ultimately, audiences connect with the gay characters of this show although many have little familiarity with the gay subculture. Thus, the success of Will and Grace is an encouraging indicator that the LGBT community, mass media, and leisure are interacting as a tool for integrating the LGBT subculture into mainstream society.
While these four areas exemplify the progress that has been made in the LGBT community, needs still exist. Gay marriage is a controversial issue in the United States and divides public opinion while challenging the legality of our Constitution. Issues of homelessness, violence, and unemployment exposed by LYRIC linger. HIV/AIDS is still a concern for LGBT people. These issues will not go away. However, the solution to these problems is education. We need to teach tolerance, awareness, health and disease prevention. However, education is not solely the responsibility of schools; instead it begins at home. By teaching tolerance and creating awareness we learn to judge people for who they are rather than their sexual preferences making the world a smaller place united by friendship.
Conclusions
In conclusion, disenfranchised groups such as the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, have experienced greater accessibility to leisure like never before. Pride celebrations, the “establishment” of a queer homeland, the creation of Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches, LYRIC, and the Billy DeFrank Center have all been stepping stones for supporting the rights of the LGBT community. Acceptance is increasing as evidenced by the media with television shows such as Will and Grace. However, the struggle has not ended and disenfranchised groups must persevere to ensure that their equal rights are achieved.
References
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2. eDIRP: 2005 / 2006 Gay Pride Parades and other Pride Events. (n.d.) Retrieved November 30, 2005 from http://www.edirp.com/pride-events/
3. San Francisco Pride 2006. (n.d.) Retrieved November 28, 2005 from http://sfpride.org/
4. Howe, A.C. (2001). Queer Pilgrimage: The San Francisco Homeland and Identity Tourism. Cultural Anthropology, 16, 35-61.
5. Apell, D. (1998). Access: Gay USA. New York: Access Press.
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9. Metropolitan Community Churches: Human Rights/Social Justices. (n.d.) Retrieved November 29, 2005 from http://www.mccchurch.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Human_Rights_Social_Justice&Template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=1040
10. Billy DeFrank LGBT Community Center. (n.d.) Retrieved November 30, 2005 from http://www.defrank.org/about/
11. LYRIC. (n.d.) Retrieved November 30, 2005 from http://www.lyric.org/AboutUsOurstory.html.
12. Castiglia, C. & Reed, C. (2004). “Ah, Yes, I Remember It Well” Memory and Queer Culture in Will and Grace. Cultural Critique, 56, 158-188.
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17. Kissack, T. (2000). The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society of Northern California. Journal of the History of Sexuality, 9, 492-493.
Iwata, Jodi M.