We're Not the Only Ones

People like to unearth as much as they can about people in the spotlight. It's a bizarre pass-time of the "Western" media. We love to know all sorts of dirty secrets about people, so we can live vicariously through them or chastise from a safe distance. Alan recently posted about an article on Tilda Swinton; I recently found another article about Michael Chambon. There are two things I'd like to talk about in regards to these articles: one is that it's good to see recognizable people in the media being ok with people knowing about their lifestyle; the other is that it is mind-numbingly aggravating to read the tone that gets put into these articles.

I'll bitch first. I had thought to leave the topic to Alan's wonderful site, but I was exposed to this article and then the Michael Chambon one on my local radio station. I'm an avid listener of their morning program, but they've had these two articles and have been overtly critical and derogatory about the way they speak in regards to it. Even more ironically, they have a gay man on their show on a regular basis. As liberal as they try to present themselves, I think there are a few issues that arise here when they read about such things. I think they're shocked by it because they're confused by it. I can understand that; I'll forgive them for that. I think they're also a little conditioned by society to think adversely to such an arrangement; I'll forgive them for that, too. What I won't really give them any lee-way on is the fact that they're ignorant about it, and they're radio folk. I know someone else writes their show for them; I know they're not journalists (lord knows they're not); but they're radio personalities - and very big ones here in this city - and it is terrible to think that they haven't the time or energy to just do a bit of research and see that it's not so strange.

The other thing that really bugged me was their response to the Tilda Swinton situation. She has two kids with John Byrne, and our lovely radio folk automatically assumed that these kids would be "scarred" or "messed up" somehow by such a lifestyle. How many kids have been raised by gay or lesbian parents? How many kids have been raised by their aunts or uncles? How many kids bounce from one foster home to the other without every really making a connection with people they know? More people in a family that is not only open about their lifestlye but comfortable with themselves and their lifestyle makes it ok for those kids. And they have three people that love them and raise them. They have three people to look after them when most kids only have two. I think that's a pretty good deal.

On to the good things. Stories like this are good. They begin to bring to light more people who are in the poly lifestyle, and that's good for those of us who think that we'll be outcast for being who we are. Granted, here in Wisconsin we have to be careful because we're not protected under the equal rights act, so we can be fired for our lifestyle; however, it gives us hope that over time people will be more accepting of poly. It's also nice to see people who are older, more respected, and obviously accomplished, coming out to the world - though not entirely of their own volition. It shows that we're not crazy, and we're not cult-ish. I'm eager to see and hear what might come of this.

Also, I know I owe folks a bit of a run-down of what happened at the seminar with cunning minx. I will do that tomorrow or Friday. I've been boiling about this for a few days. Sorry. And Elle and I will be at the second seminar here in Milwaukee in March. Anyone nearby should come and join us. It's a good experience.