SpookyKid Posted August 17, 2007 Share Posted August 17, 2007 In my time in drum corps as a fan, a member, and a instructor I have met a lot of really great people who have done some really amazing things. The fact that they were straight, gay, or bi-sexual was just one facet of who they were, like hair color or what kind of ice cream they liked. Never had a reason to judge a friendship on something like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavalier1995 Posted August 17, 2007 Share Posted August 17, 2007 It really isn't a big deal. That said, I love lesbians. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKBari Posted August 17, 2007 Share Posted August 17, 2007 When you're the only black person in your corps, who's gay is the last thing that crosses your mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
byline Posted August 17, 2007 Share Posted August 17, 2007 Why would you put somebodies name out there???? I had the opportunity to meet Stanley Knaub in 1978, when he came up to Toronto for a week to enhance our guard book. Even then, he was pretty open about his sexual orientation, so I don't think the poster was "outing" anyone. It was pretty common knowledge, because Stan chose to be open about who he was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A27Lancer Posted August 17, 2007 Share Posted August 17, 2007 I had the opportunity to meet Stanley Knaub in 1978, when he came up to Toronto for a week to enhance our guard book. Even then, he was pretty open about his sexual orientation, so I don't think the poster was "outing" anyone. It was pretty common knowledge, because Stan chose to be open about who he was. George Zingali was GAY??????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scerpella Posted August 17, 2007 Share Posted August 17, 2007 When you're the only black person in your corps, who's gay is the last thing that crosses your mind. You might have been the only black person in Cedar Rapids back then!! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Posted August 17, 2007 Share Posted August 17, 2007 George Zingali was GAY??????? I THINK SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT STANLEY KNAUB, NOT GEORGE ZINGALI. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKBari Posted August 17, 2007 Share Posted August 17, 2007 You might have been the only black person in Cedar Rapids back then!! :) Thought I was for about 2 weeks when I first got there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChicagoFan Posted August 17, 2007 Share Posted August 17, 2007 It's great to see that almost everyone who has responded to this topic has done so in a positive, affirming manner, leading me to believe that most of us in the drum corps community are, perhaps, just a bit more tolerant than the general population. I think one of the reasons we display such tolerance and acceptance is because of our corps expeience -- an experience that brought us into close contact with a more diverse group of people than we might otherwise have encountered. As someone mentioned eariler, any sort of artistic/theatrical endeavor is usually going to attract a certain percentage of gay people, and drum corps is no exception. Anytrime people are united in an endeavor of similar interests and work together for a common goal (whether that be drum corps, sports, business, etc.) there develops a level of understanding and empathy among the participants. They often become -- to use an old cliche -- a family. Families accept individual oddities and quirks and embrace people for who they are rather than what they are. Because most of us have been around gay people in corps, we've come to realize they're not much different than anybody else -- they're talented, hardworking, dedicated, interesting people. In my experience, it's usually those folks who don't know or associate with gays that make other assumptions. It's the uninformed that are uptight, bothered and, sometimes, threatened by the gay issue. Over the years, I've worked with numerous high school groups and have been amazed at how comfortable some of these young people are with their sexuality. 14 and 15 year olds are not afraid to announce to their friends and fellow students that they're gay and make no attempt to hide their preferences. Again, in the accepting world of the band room or the theater rehearsal hall, they've encountered an accepting, tolerant group of individuals, among whom they feel comfortable. I'm always quick to tell them how proud I am of their courage and their willingness to be truthful with themselves and others, however, I also caution them that the acceptance they may feel among their close friends is not universal and that there are still many people out there that are filled with bigotry, pejudice, and even hatred. Thankfully, most of us in the world of the arts (drum corps included) seem to have moved beyond such primitive thinking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaraNYC Posted August 17, 2007 Share Posted August 17, 2007 Well, when I marched in Star of Indiana in 1985 it was well known that I was a dyke. Heck, I used to party at the local gay bar with George Zingalli and the visual staff, some were gay, some not. I didn't have too many problems, but did get called a dyke a few times in a deogratory way. And everytime it happened I got 100x more support from most of the corps. Sad thing is, I went back to march in a DCA corps in 2005 and apparently the only reason I did that was to hit on another dyke in the corps. People can be idiots anywhere, anytime I suppose. Maybe if some people in that corps didn't waste time spreading rumors about why someone returned to an activity they did when they were younger, that particular corps would be more successful from a competitive standpoint. Me like the Renegades. They LOVE lesbians there!!!! ^0^ ^0^ ^0^ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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