QUEER
Over view: This book is a assemblage of different photographs and notes gathered for a period of four months on the LGBT community. This project started by doing research on the “Queer Subculture� and its evolution within the pass two decades. Only a few groups within this subculture are represented in this book because of its complexity.
What does “Queer� means? questionable, suspicious, differing in some odd way from what is usual or normal, eccentric, unconventional, mildly insane: touched.
This subculture’s views have evolved since it was formed in the 1990’s, but acceptance, respect, and human rights have always been consistent subjects of priority.
HIGH HEEL RACE DC 2012 Drag Queens
Transgenders
Thomas Beatie is an American female-to-male transsexual. He began transitioning in the late 1990’s by undergoing hormone therapy and surgery. In 2002, he opted for a gender reassignment procedure that allowed him to keep his original reproductive organs. That year, he was legally recognized as a man, and in 2003 he married his wife, Nancy. Nancy wasn’t able to have children, so Thomas decided go under insemination. He has been recognize as the first male to give birth to a child.
This little note was found at a blog where teenagers express their personal stories or insecurities.The note made me think about gender and how teenagers deal with the struggle of figuring out who their identity and gender.
This diagram explains the differences between identity, attraction, sex, and expression.
LGBT Celebrities
Marriage and children have become an important subject within the LGBT community couples. Celebrities like Neil Patrick and his partner David Burtka kept their engagement a secret for 5 years until same-sex marriage became legal. They are parents of twins that were born through a surrogate mother in 2010.
Ellen De Generes and Portia Rossi have been together over a decade. They got married in 2008 in California. On August 6, 2010, de Rossi filed a petition to legally change her name to Portia Lee James DeGeneres. The petition was granted on September 23, 2010.
Human Rights
On November 28th, 2012 Hillary Clinton spoke at The State Department’s GLIFAA 20 th year anniversary. Being at the reception, I was captured by her speech and all of the human rights issues within the LGBT community.
The Secretary of State requests the pleasure of your company for the 20th Anniversary Celebration of Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies on Wednesday, November 28, 2012 2:00 pm
Reception to follow
The Benjamin Franklin Room Department of State 2201 C Street, NW Washington, D.C. Please respond by November 23rd to CeremonialsRsvp@state.gov When responding, please provide date of birth and government issued identification number. Due to security procedures, please arrive promptly by 1:45 pm. Present photo identification at the door. This invitation is non-transferable
Par t of her speech... We’ve helped to make it easier for transgender Americans to change the gender listed on their passports, because our mission is not only to protect the rights and dignity of our colleagues, but also of the American people we serve. And we’ve taken this message all over the world, including the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, where we worked to pass the first ever UN resolution affirming the human rights of LGBT people. Now, together we have worked to make something very simple and right come true. Our people should not have to choose between serving the country they love and sharing a life with the people they love. And I want to say a few words about why this work is so important. Now, leaders of all kinds will stand in front of audiences like this and tell you that our most important asset is our people. And of course, that’s especially true in diplomacy, where we try to be very diplomatic all the time. But what our success truly depends on is our ability to forge strong relationships and relate to people of all backgrounds. And what that means for me, as your Secretary, is that creating an LGBT-welcoming workplace is not just the right thing to do, it’s also the smart thing to do. In part, that’s because the nature of diplomacy has changed, and we should and need to keep up. Today we expect our diplomats to build relationships not just with their counterparts in foreign governments, but with people from every continent and every walk of life. And in order to do that, we need a diplomatic corps that is as diverse as the world we work in. It’s also smart because it makes us better advocates for the values that we hold dear. Because when anyone is persecuted anywhere, and that includes when
LGBT people are persecuted or kept from fully participating in their societies, they suffer, but so do we. We’re not only robbed of their talents and ideas, we are diminished, because our commitment to the human rights of all people has to be a continuing obligation and mission of everyone who serves in the Government of the United States. So this is a mission that I gladly assume. We have to set the example and we have to live up to our own values.
And finally, we are simply more effective when we create an
environment that encourages people to bring their whole selves to work, when they don’t have to hide a core part of who they are, when we recognize and reward people for the quality of their work instead of dismissing their contributions because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. So really, I’m here today to say thank you to all of you. Thank you for your courage and resolve, for your willingness to keep going despite the obstacles – and for many of you, there were and are many. Thank you for pushing your government to do what you know was right, not just for yourselves but for all who come after you. I want to mention one person in particular who was a key part of this fight, Tom Gallagher. I met Tom earlier. Where is Tom? There you are, Tom. Tom joined the Foreign Service in 1965 and in the early 1970s he risked his career when he came out and became the first openly gay Foreign Service officer. He served in the face of criticism and threats, but that did not stop him from serving. I wanted to take this moment just to recognize him, but also to put into context what this journey has meant for people of Tom’s
and my vintage, because I don’t want any of you who are a lot younger ever to take for granted what it took for people like Tom Gallagher to pave the way for all of you. It’s not a moment for us to be nostalgic. It is a moment for us to remember and to know that all of the employees who sacrificed their right to be who they were really defending your rights and the rights and freedoms of others at home and abroad.
DA D T
DADT was the official United States policy on gays serving in the military from December 21, 1993, to September 20, 2011. The policy prohibited military personnel from discriminating against or harassing closeted homosexual or bisexual service members or applicants, while barring openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual persons from military service.
On Sunday September 12 at the MTV Video Music Awards, Lady Gaga was flanked by former service members who had been discharged from the military for being gay. It was a very public statement on the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy that former President Bill Clinton passed in 1994 and was recently ruled unconstitutional by US District Judge Virginia Phillips.
Old Policy vs New
Conclusion: The Queer subculture started the awareness of AIDS, Bullying, and lack of human rights. Within the pass two decades this subculture has evolved into what we know today as the LGBT community. Human rights are still the priority for the LGBT community. Many communities in the world struggle to be accepted and respected.
Edrick D Agostini Professor: Shayna Maskell Humanities- subcultures Fall 2012. CCAD