Picture this: You're walking down a dimly lit street in 1970s San Francisco, the Castro district humming with an electric tension that heterosexual America will never understand.
Boggles my mind how little I know of queer culture despite having been part of it for more than 65 years. 65 years of fumbling in the dark as if looking for a dropped key to find a community that works for me. No regrets, but, damn, life sure would have been less complicated. Or maybe more complicated??
This is a beautiful piece. I well remember the hanky code -- & the sense of betrayal when "Cruising" used it to promote homophobic tropes. That movie effectively killed it in my neck of the woods.
As we watch the horrors taking place daily in our country, it's important to remember how & why we created such insider techniques. I very much fear that a new Dark Age is upon us & that such techniques will again become necessary for our survival -- particularly among our Trans brothers and sisters.
We may need a subtle signal that says, "You're safe with me." I have no ideas for such coding, but I know other members of the community must. We have to be prepared for anything -- very few saw this coming in November, & I'm certain it will get worse.
We have, both now & in the past, survived worse. Thanks to articles like this one's which show us we can again.
This is the kind of thing I want the youth to understand and be aware of. They are afraid of how bad things are now, but in the times before, we had it just as bad now or worse. The Education of this history is crucial in the current times.
Boggles my mind how little I know of queer culture despite having been part of it for more than 65 years. 65 years of fumbling in the dark as if looking for a dropped key to find a community that works for me. No regrets, but, damn, life sure would have been less complicated. Or maybe more complicated??
Wow I remember (and forgot about) much of this from the 1970s, the hanky’s, keychains, earring. It was so coded back then.
Great piece of dialogue and understanding.
Reminds me of Capoeira in Brazil where a curious dance culture was and still is a hidden martial art and also a gathering of coded queer culture.
This is a beautiful piece. I well remember the hanky code -- & the sense of betrayal when "Cruising" used it to promote homophobic tropes. That movie effectively killed it in my neck of the woods.
As we watch the horrors taking place daily in our country, it's important to remember how & why we created such insider techniques. I very much fear that a new Dark Age is upon us & that such techniques will again become necessary for our survival -- particularly among our Trans brothers and sisters.
We may need a subtle signal that says, "You're safe with me." I have no ideas for such coding, but I know other members of the community must. We have to be prepared for anything -- very few saw this coming in November, & I'm certain it will get worse.
We have, both now & in the past, survived worse. Thanks to articles like this one's which show us we can again.
This is the kind of thing I want the youth to understand and be aware of. They are afraid of how bad things are now, but in the times before, we had it just as bad now or worse. The Education of this history is crucial in the current times.
Fascinating and informative.
Ahh, a Trump Closet Case, I see. Tiny Wee Wee Syndrome , much?