k.d. lang and "heterosexual couples"
Mar. 22nd, 2009 04:50 pmI had the great fortune to see k.d. lang's Watershed concert last night at the restored and appropriately gaudy Fox Theater with my wife last night.
hippybear has a great review. I agree 100% with his assessment and add only that I was laughing and crying throughout the night.
Before the concert, the wife and I shared a leg of lamb, a goat cheese mashed potato dish, and a mushroom sauce that were delicious, thanks to the skilled chef at Vin Rouge. We attended the Watershed pre-event party hosted by The Inland NW LGBT Center, Inland Northwest Business Association, Odyssey Youth Center, and OutSpokane. It was a lovely gathering with many familiar faces and some that were new to me. A lovely gentleman named Steve, who previously found and returned my indispensable thumbdrive, and Bridget Potter, Diva of OutSpokane and other ventures, greeted us to check in. Representatives from the four organizations, Cat Carrel, Marvo Reguinden, Sandy Williams, and Christopher Lawrence, respectively, made impassioned pitches for shared donations. It was a very pleasant event. They auctioned a signed Watershed CD for $500 and announced they'd received another $500 from the Pride Foundation.
Once we were seated for the concert, we found ourselves next to another male/female couple. At a point in the conversation, the woman in the couple commented that she thought we and they were the only heterosexual couples at the pre-event party. I was stunned and stupified. It reminded me how invisible an important part of me is in my own community. I know that. technically, heterosexual is an accurate term to describe our relationship as we embody different sexes. But I'm pretty sure her comment was meant to communicate that the people in the relationships are heterosexual. Hmmmm....
I saw a special on k.d. lang once in which she told that she had decided to not reveal her sexual orientation in order to support her stage/character presence. Her act as an artist is to entice everyone in the audience regarless of gender. A revelation of her personal life, could cause some of her audience to become disinterested or put off. She engages each of us of every gender and sexual orientation.
I saw a shirt today online displaying "100% Bisexual." This dispels several myths:
Bisexual people don't exist.
Bisexual people are part gay and part straight.
Bisexual people divide their attention between men and women in a measurable fashion.
Bisexual people are confused and don't understand their true sexual orienation.
In truth,:
We exist.
We are not partially or wholly gay or straight. Bisexuality is a unique and valid sexual orientation.
Bisexuality is complex and not easily described by using ratios and percentages of attraction toward various genders.
We are certain about our sexuality, our social lives, and our attractions. No need for confusion on our part.
I hate to wear labels, but I may wear this shirt, especially to lgbtqa events, in the future. It may alleviate some confusion on the part of onlookers and save me some frustration. It is, after all, a better brand than Wal*mart.
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Before the concert, the wife and I shared a leg of lamb, a goat cheese mashed potato dish, and a mushroom sauce that were delicious, thanks to the skilled chef at Vin Rouge. We attended the Watershed pre-event party hosted by The Inland NW LGBT Center, Inland Northwest Business Association, Odyssey Youth Center, and OutSpokane. It was a lovely gathering with many familiar faces and some that were new to me. A lovely gentleman named Steve, who previously found and returned my indispensable thumbdrive, and Bridget Potter, Diva of OutSpokane and other ventures, greeted us to check in. Representatives from the four organizations, Cat Carrel, Marvo Reguinden, Sandy Williams, and Christopher Lawrence, respectively, made impassioned pitches for shared donations. It was a very pleasant event. They auctioned a signed Watershed CD for $500 and announced they'd received another $500 from the Pride Foundation.
Once we were seated for the concert, we found ourselves next to another male/female couple. At a point in the conversation, the woman in the couple commented that she thought we and they were the only heterosexual couples at the pre-event party. I was stunned and stupified. It reminded me how invisible an important part of me is in my own community. I know that. technically, heterosexual is an accurate term to describe our relationship as we embody different sexes. But I'm pretty sure her comment was meant to communicate that the people in the relationships are heterosexual. Hmmmm....
I saw a special on k.d. lang once in which she told that she had decided to not reveal her sexual orientation in order to support her stage/character presence. Her act as an artist is to entice everyone in the audience regarless of gender. A revelation of her personal life, could cause some of her audience to become disinterested or put off. She engages each of us of every gender and sexual orientation.
I saw a shirt today online displaying "100% Bisexual." This dispels several myths:
Bisexual people don't exist.
Bisexual people are part gay and part straight.
Bisexual people divide their attention between men and women in a measurable fashion.
Bisexual people are confused and don't understand their true sexual orienation.
In truth,:
We exist.
We are not partially or wholly gay or straight. Bisexuality is a unique and valid sexual orientation.
Bisexuality is complex and not easily described by using ratios and percentages of attraction toward various genders.
We are certain about our sexuality, our social lives, and our attractions. No need for confusion on our part.
I hate to wear labels, but I may wear this shirt, especially to lgbtqa events, in the future. It may alleviate some confusion on the part of onlookers and save me some frustration. It is, after all, a better brand than Wal*mart.