Journal 5:
M.K. Nobilette
The first openly LGBT singer to preform on the American Idol stage, will this act of courage produce fame or contention?
When looking for a topic to write about for this journal, I stumbled upon an article written about M.K. Nobilette, the first openly lesbian singer to preform on American Idol. Although there have been many singers to perform on American Idol's stage, such as Adam Lambert who is now openly gay, the singers before Nobilettes time were never open about their sexuality. The article, "Queer, Isn't It? A Gay 'Idol', and We Don't Mean Judy Garland" by Micheal Abernethy offers many opinions and stereotypes which strike me as ignorant and offensive. The article by Abernethy was written in response to the growing media coverage of M.K. Nobilette's singing career in this year's Idol season. Abernethy begins this article by stating a foolish stereotype towards the LGBT community. Abernethy states "anywhere there's a gathering of three or more lesbians, odds are pretty good at least one plays the guitar." I find this statement repulsive and demeaning towards lesbians. Abernethy also states "the only logical reason why a contestant would hide his or her sexuality, then, is self-doubt and worry." This statement is extremely negligent and heartless towards the LGBT community and towards society in general. Abernethy has not walked in a LGBT person's shoes, Abernethy has not experienced the ridicule by the media or the constant battle a gay or lesbian person faces when questioned about their sexuality. Our society may claim to accept people who love the same sex, however, when we really open our eye there are teenagers taking their own lives because of the harassment they have endured when unsure of their sexuality. If we open our eyes we will see demeaning stereotypes used to degrade the LGBT community such as the one Abernethy used in his article. Yes, people may hide their sexuality because of self-doubt or worry, but can we blame them? Look at the pressure and ridicule society has focused on openly gay or lesbian people. Heartless stereotypes, degrading statements, and demeaning views have all been thrown in the face of the LGBT community. Maybe lesbians and gays are worried to become open about their sexuality because the state the live in will not allow them to get married. Who are we to judge? Have we walked in their shoes? Do we understand the pressure society puts on them every day? Abernethy has no grounds in which to make his accusation that the LGBT community is worried or in self-doubt about their sexuality. Although Abernethy is not openly stating that he is against the idea of lovers of the same sex, his article provides the guide lines in which to make those accusations.
I believe "a person's a person no matter how small" which derives from a well-known childhood author, Dr. Seuss. A person is a person. A person from the LGBT community is a person. Society differs in their views on people who love the same sex, or those who love all sexes. The bottom line is, "a person's a person no matter how small." Who are we, or Abernethy, to judge when we all derive from the same classification, people.
If you are interested in viewing Abernethy's article, here is the link.
One of my group members did not post on their blog, so I though I would comment on yours.
ReplyDeleteI especially like how you ended your review with "a person's a person no matter how small." From that quote, I can tell that this article really influenced you. I commend you on using lines from the article in your review. This helped to prove the effectiveness of your opinion. Your opinion throughout your review was very consistent and did not change once.