The Gay issue

[apoch003]

So, in my corps in the 80's, it seemed the "gay" thing was a big taboo. No one discussed it, jokes (slurs) were made against it, and I always kept my big mouth shut.

It doesn't seem to be such an issue anymore in modern corps, but I was wondering if there were any more accepting corps that fielded during my day.

Your thoughts?

[13-on-deck]

I would assume Madison and Cavies had more tolerance back then.

NOT a slight on those two corps, but just based on the fact that when you get 30-40 male dancers together the odds are that there might be a few gay dudes in the bunch.

Now that guards are more mixed (and no, I'm not saying that "only guard guys are gay", or anything like that...wow, touchy subject huh? lol), more corps have gay members I should think.

(hey, I work for Disney...I wouldn't have a job very long if I weren't tolerant :))

[bluecoats88]

So, in my corps in the 80's, it seemed the "gay" thing was a big taboo. No one discussed it, jokes (slurs) were made against it, and I always kept my big mouth shut.

It doesn't seem to be such an issue anymore in modern corps, but I was wondering if there were any more accepting corps that fielded during my day.

Your thoughts?

We never really had a big issue with it during my time at Bluecoats, and since we had an integrated guard it was usually pretty much out in the open.

[apoch003]

I wonder why it was such a stigma in my corps. I mean, by 87, all anyone could talk about was Stanley Knaub (Thanks, GuyW) and how "flaming" he was, and the one guy from the soprano line who was openly gay, and now he was an instructor but no one should take him seriously because ya know... he's gay.... etc.

It really was rather pathetic.

Edited August 17, 2007 by apoch003

[Otowndrumin]

Being gay isn't a big deal anymore in the world of Drum Corps. Everyone is a brother and sister to the corps, no pun intended, enough Said.

[apoch003]

Being gay isn't a big deal anymore in the world of Drum Corps. Everyone is a brother and sister to the corps, no pun intended, enough Said.

Ah! But YOU WEREN'T THERE WHEN WE MARCHED. And my question isn't about TODAY's drum corps.

In fact, I was in my fourth year of drum corps WHEN YOU WERE BORN.

[lnavis]

One of the years I marched in State Street we had 12 girls and 12 guys. Of the 12 guys all but 2 or 3 were gay and maybe 1 or 2 girls were.

It was no big deal - no one really talked about it, but the straight guys made sure they had girlfriends!

Edited August 15, 2007 by lnavis

[DCIHasBeen]

Hhhhmmmnnnn. Let's see. Aproximately 10% of the population are gay, with the percentage skewing a bit higher in the arts. Drum Corps is a microcosm, therefore there are gay people in drum corps.

What's the issue? (Yes, I'm being purposely dense because, in the words of the Borg Queen, "You seek disparity where none exists.")

[Ryan H. Turner]

I'll be very blunt and honest. I was pretty freakin' sheltered for whatever reason before I joined VK. "Being gay" had no meaning whatsoever to me. I probably knew there were homosexuals in the world but it didn't really matter I guess because no one talked about it. I think the only thing I remember from HS days about homosexuality was that a parent complained that our marching band wore red shoes when we went to away games with our "pep band uniform" on. He said that connotated that homosexuality. My mom, booster guru that she was, laughed it off and the issue became a non-issue as fast as it appeared.

In 1985, I befriended someone in the guard. We got along great. Didn't know he was gay--didn't dawn on me--didn't matter. He was funny. So was I. So we got along. Whatever. As we went through winter and spring, we got to the time when we'd start making seat assignments. And naturally, since he was my friend, we were going to be seat partners. That was until a couple of staff members made "snide remarks" about "I know someone who liiiiiiiiiiiiikes you". I of course, being as naive as I was, assumed it was a girl.

Apparently it wasn't. I was "educated" by some guys in the hornline and convinced that it would be a really "bad idea" to be his seat partner. And that there was actually a girl in the guard that was quite interested in being my seat partner. Sadly--at the cost of a friendship I strongly believe--I opted to go with the girl.

Gayness was taboo back then--or so it seemed. Nowhere NEAR as open as it is now. And apparently, with us crazy VK'ers, being gay wasn't a cool thing--at least that's how it came across.

But my own prejudice and being able to swayed to arguments of others cost me a friendship with someone that I thought, regardless of his orientation, was just a great PERSON.

[strutta]

Hhhhmmmnnnn. Let's see. Aproximately 10% of the population are gay, with the percentage skewing a bit higher in the arts. Drum Corps is a microcosm, therefore there are gay people in drum corps.

What's the issue? (Yes, I'm being purposely dense because, in the words of the Borg Queen, "You seek disparity where none exists.")

I recall seeing studies where it was stated that as little as 1% of the population was gay. 10% has not been proven. In any event, in the 80's or prior, how was it addressed if it was addressed at all, is a valid question, IMHO.

It sounds from the original poster that if it was addressed at all, it was usually to the negative and that's a shame. It seems that the activity has grown in tolerance either through a much larger percentage of participation by openly gay individuals and/or a more enlightened talent pool. I'd like to think it is the latter.

Edited August 15, 2007 by strutta