Duke University, a few years ago, was named most homophobic college campus by the Princeton Review according to The NY Times (1/15/2004). A group of Duke students, gay and straight, came up with an idea to spread tolerance: T-shirts that read ‘gay? fine by me.’ They got jocks and profs, among others, to wear them and have distributed 2,000 so far. The idea, touted as a highly visible but non-aggressive way to show one is not homophobic, has spread to a number of other colleges.
A month ago The NY Times (12/19/2003) reported that Canadian tourism officials are happy at the influx of U.S. gays and lesbians who are heading north to tie the knot (and spend money on bed-and-breakfasts, honeymoons, accommodations, big same-sex cowboy wedding cakes, receptions, hired musicians … ). Now that paper (1/21/2004) tells us the same thing is happening in Provincetown, Mass., in the wake of the state’s Supreme Court ruling that gays can marry. ‘Gift stores are scurrying to add wedding registries; one struggling retailer … closed his collectibles shop to go into the wedding planning business.’ The Town Hall is fielding many extra inquiries (about blood tests among other things, and that alone could complicate matters for some gays). Wonder how anti-gay conservatives will handle the challenge of fabulous gay weddings?
David Sedaris, the gay author, satirist, and professionally neurotic chain smoker, was in Chicago a week ago to try out new material at Steppenwolf Theatre but the Chicago Tribune (1/10/2004) chided him for messing with his wholly sympathetic fan base: one audience member asked him if, as Sedaris had said on a previous visit, he was about to be an uncle. Sedaris shocked the audience by saying: 1) ‘It was a still birth’ and 2) ‘Just kidding.’ Causing confusion, consternation and sadness is probably not the best way to treat your admirers.
The Education Life section of The NY Times (1/18/2004) says that law students are jumping at chances to study gay law. Both straight and gay students are drawn to courses and seminars on gay issues. The article does point out that both liberal and conservative schools offer these courses, but often with different ends in mind.
Leonard Pitts, the columnist from the Chicago Tribune (1/6/2004) who ought to be given a ‘righteous straight’ medal from gays, says, ‘When do we stop being surprised to learn ‘gay’ is something right next door or just down the hall?’