General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsNate Silver: My friends describe me as ‘sexually gay but ethnically straight’
The statistician and writer, 34, who came out to his parents after spending a year in London studying economics, said in an interview with Out Magazine, which named him Person of the Year 2012:
For me, I think the most important distinguishing characteristic is that Im independent-minded, Silver, 34, tells the magazine. Im sure that being gay encouraged the independent-mindedness, but that same independent-mindedness makes me a little bit skeptical of parts of gay culture, I suppose.
Talking about a series of flagpoles in Chicago, erected as memorials to gay Americans, he said:
There was one little plaque for Keith Haring, and it was, like, Keith Haring, gay American artist, 1962 to 1981, or whatever [actually 1958 to 1990], and I was like, Why isnt he just an American artist? I dont want to be Nate Silver, gay statistician, any more than I want to be known as a white, half-Jewish statistician who lives in New York.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/12/19/nate-silver-my-friends-describe-me-as-sexually-gay-but-ethnically-straight/
----------------
How else can we piss of the right in the new year?? After this one I'm totally out of ideas.
Smarmie Doofus
(14,498 posts)... the truth is that Haring was acutely conscious and very proud of being gay and his connection to the NYC lgbt community was a central part of his life.
There was one little plaque for Keith Haring, and it was, like, Keith Haring, gay American artist, 1962 to 1981, or whatever , and I was like, Why isnt he just an American artist? I dont want to be Nate Silver, gay statistician, any more than I want to be known as a white, half-Jewish statistician who lives in New York.
And... the truth is that if they didn't put "*gay* artist" on the plaque he'd unquestionably be assumed have been straight by succeeding generations.... as had James Baldwin, Langston Hughes, Virginia Woolf, Michaelangelo, Da Vinci etc. etc. etc. etc. until the western world started to "grow-up" concerning this issue.
That's important for people ... especially kids.... especially *lgbt* kids.... to know.
I really doubt Haring would object to being so identified. From wiki:
>>>>>Keith Haring was openly gay and was a strong advocate of safe sex;[1] however, in 1988, Haring was diagnosed with AIDS. He established the Keith Haring Foundation in 1989, its mandate being to provide funding and imagery to AIDS organizations and children's programs like Kinderstern, and to expand the audience for Harings work through exhibitions, publications and the licensing of his images. Haring enlisted his imagery during the last years of his life to speak about his own illness and generate activism and awareness about AIDS.
In 1989, at the invitation of the Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center to join a show of site-specific artwork for the building, at 208 West 13th Street, Haring chose the second-floor men's room for his mural Once Upon a Time.[8] In June, on the rear wall of the convent of the Church of Sant'Antonio (in Italian: Chiesa di Sant'Antonio abate) in Pisa (Italy), he painted the last public work of his life, the mural "Tuttomondo" (translate: "all-world" , along with 6 animated inserts for Sesame Street (which later aired a year after his death).>>>>>>>
[edit]
Fearless
(18,421 posts)Smarmie Doofus
(14,498 posts)I think it's fair to discuss the implications.
Fearless
(18,421 posts)Perhaps due to his existence as a public figure he should have prefaced by saying something to the sort of "for myself" or "in my life this makes the most sense for me" while still acknowledging that others have a need to see him as a positive gay role model.