The Overdog Helping the Underdog
1. “Because baby I was born this way!” Gaga’s Voice Gives Hope
Long before the musical
notes of Born This Way hit the stereos across the world, Lady Gaga already cultivated
a massive rapport with the LGBT community. This was due to her previous music
videos where she would subtlety place herself kissing, or provocatively dancing
with, women and men alike to express her standing on the every rising issue of Equality
along with her own sexuality to the world. She openly spoke about these topics
in interviews and other places as her fame grew to one of the subcultures I call
home.
To my knowledge this is
one of the first ragingly popular songs of my generation that has openly said
“It’s okay to be Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Transgendered. It’s safe to be you.”
Hitting the market just as the issue of Equality was at its peak Born This Way gave young, and old, LGBT
individual’s incredible new strength to fight for our rights.
To me this video
emerged at the moment I felt my lowest while coming out as transgender after so
many years of my mother telling me it was just the “anime” talking. 13 years
old until 20 years old is quite a long time to be going through a “phase.” Then
my best fined of the time exclaimed “You aren’t a man because you still wear
girly clothing and do girly things!” I was unaware that men who identified as
women were not allowed to wear male clothing anymore to prove themself female.
These are the times I remember when I let Gaga’s powerful speech run over the
movie reel of my mind, “I’m beautiful in my way, ‘cause god makes no mistakes.
I’m on the right track, baby, I was born this way. Don’t hide yourself in
regret, just love yourself and your set. I’m on the right track baby I was born
this way yeah.” (Gaga)
2. Same Love – Words of a Hero
Macklemore made his claim to fame with the
trend-y pop song Thrift Shop. Its
light hearted, and upbeat tunes rooting for the poor to show off their thrift
shop flair while everyone else wastes their money. His most recent top of the
charts hit, ft. Mary Lambert, Same Love is
yet another large push for the Equality of LGBT persons.
“When
I was in the third grade I thought that I was gay, 'cause I could draw, my
uncle was, and I kept my room straight.” Macklemore opens reminiscing in his
child hood leading into how messed up these stereotypes are in a world that is
so diverse. His words are soul filled with examples of who, and how, they make
people feel this way for no other reason then “Man-made rewiring of a
predisposition.” (Macklemore)
Where
Gaga’s song ceases Macklemore blossoms in the difference that it is less about
one’s self perceived notice and more on how we should be fighting against
others self-perceived notion of us. Though
we must start with ourselves and branch out to the larger picture from there it
is nice to see this duality in the pop culture everyone seems to emerge their
life in today.
“When
kids are walking 'round the hallway plagued by pain in their heart
A world so hateful some would rather die than be who
they are.” (Macklemore.) These lyrics I think are the most profound. This is
our future, these kids that are taking their own life because “We paraphrase a
book written thirty-five-hundred years ago” (Macklemore) rather than love one another.
3.
Dear Straight People – A Poem on How I want to Rob You
Dear
Straight People is a poem I discovered not long ago
through a spoken word class I attended. It was an example on how one can
control their character to exaggerate on their piece. How it is controlled to
be outrageously perfect for what you are trying to present to the people
listening, watching. Though I took in what the person lecturing was saying
about this slam poem I also felt this spoken word move a part of me in a
personal way.
“Dear Queer Young
Girl, I see you. You don’t want them to see you
so you change the
pronouns in your love poems to “him” instead of “her.” I used to do
that.” (Dear Straight People lines 60-
64) Frohman summarizes
this part of my past particularly well as I spoke up for the ones in high
school that couldn’t speak for themselves due to the fear of rejection or wrath
of others.
My girlfriend is 26 and
her parents are still eager for her to find a man to marry for children
someday. It does not matter how well I treat her, what I stand for, weather I
am alive or dead, just that I am not a true man. Her parents say that they love
me, and adore me because I have worked so hard to get to where I am. That they
are proud of me for going back to school, but if I were to ask her father for
her hand in marriage I would not be welcomed to it. It is just recently that
they stopped throwing this “defect” in her face to try and change her ways.
An ex-girlfriend of mine
had to hide that we were lovers for the short time that we were due to them
being overly conservative. Though she was bisexual she had learned from her
sisters “mistakes.” Her beloved sister dated the same sex, even the same women,
for five or so years. The whole time getting no support from the people she
proclaimed as home. Eventually this led her to repent of her sins. She is still
single, but at least she has her family.
“Dear straight people, you make me want
to fuckin’ rob you,” (Dear Straight People Line 38-39) of your rights as you
have robbed us of ours for generations. Rob you of the innocent souls that you
have forced to feel abandoned due to beating and bullying from people that
cannot accept the beauty of difference.
4. No H8 for John Bowarrman – Leading by Example
The
simple, yet powerful, photo above is of John Barrowman, an openly LGBT actor that has
gained his fame from the fandom of the longest running Syfy show (Doctor Who)
as the character of Captain Jack Harkness. Harkness is openly pansexual in this
reverting show and it is the trait that has made him most popular as a
character, as he finds beauty in everything; John is much the same way. His
husband, Scott, and he have been together for some time and he fights for
Equality day in and day out.
Showing support for the NO H8 champion is
something small that Barrowman has done as yet another figure head of the LGBT
subculture and it shows that such a little act can go such a long way. He
continues to inspire like minds and brings hope to hearts that may have lost
it. No matter how hard times have gotten for him he has come out (no pun
intended) on top.
While in the mists of coming out as
transgender FTM (Female to male) I discovered Barrowman’s character and it
reminded me that I may be down right now but there are people speaking up for e
somewhere as I did when I was younger for others. The people that were meant to
stay will, and others weren’t really worth it. Use the experience that one has
to help them, not hinder. There are still people out there hating on others to
the point where their future is in vain. The underdog needs people like us to
say that it is okay, that there is a tomorrow, that hope is here, and that if you
don’t have a voice we will loan you ours.
