Being young and gay has its advantages. Free drinks and always the centre of attention. Even on dates you usually end up with not having to spend a cent.
But if you happen to be young, and you happen to be gay, and you happen to be interested in politics or other worldly matters, you are pretty much struck down as being simply “too young to understand”.
I don’t think being gay has too much to do with it, although I’m sure quite a few older guys see younger boys as featherbrained entertainment. Any mature conversation is thought to go through one ear and out the other.
And don’t even bother preaching a left-wing perspective. You’d be shocked how many gay men can fit squarely into Abbott’s speedos.
I think what people seem to forget is that my generation is a generation that has grown up in a post 9/11 world, where our leaders are thought of by many as corrupt, where financial doomsday prophecies are predicted every week, and where we are told constantly that our government is inept.
So I, like many in my generation, have taken a particular interest in the people we call ‘leaders’, and it’s quite unfortunate that we are seeing many kids around my age disenchanted with both major political parties.
My generation is one that sees the importance of addressing humanist issues, rather than the continual banter between politicians on issues of finance.
We believe that without equality, without humane treatment of every person on this planet and without peace, why should anything else matter?
So next time a gay boy wants to chat politics, don’t write him off. Behind those perfectly plucked eyebrows might lie a brain!
Disclaimer: This does not go for every gay boy. Some gay boys are quite honestly as dumb as bread. Buy them a drink and hope to God they shut up.
By JESSE MATHESON
Jason, everything I write about I write from observation. These are things that I have observed personally and I feel are worthy of being written about.
Many older gay men I have talked to do not take on board my political point of view. We can easily observe a large portion of youth who hate Labor and Liberals because they doing hold their values.
There has been various articles that do show that my generation is as I have described it, and from my own person experience my generation is exactly how I’ve described it.
If my stereotypical view of older men is a problem, then you can blame some of the older guys that I chat to.
I’m sorry that your comments weren’t published, I’m not in charge of that but I welcome comments. I also accept everyone for who they are, but if someone annoys me or if something I observe I think is wrong, I will probably write about it.
I commented here and my remarks did not pass moderation. How do the writers get honest feedback if forum posts are “cherry picked” ????
All I had basically said was that I find this writer to be making a habit of making sweeping generalizations that ostracize an entire group of people, like the column about gay Christians. Now it is GenY and GenX among other things.
I also put to Mt Matheson that possibly he would be well advised to adopt the inclusive attitude we ask of mainstream society in our call for acceptance and equality. Is anything less not a case of hypocrisy and “gay elitism” ???
I would really appreciate it if my comments are published, as I do not feel these remarks are offensive or abusive —- please correct me if I am wrong on this.
Thankyou.
Jase
Jesse Matheson can write on my blog any day of the week. I know what he means: when I came out, older guys [10+ years older] spoke to you as if you were a dumb blond, tried to bully you into stuff.
Thank you for your insight into where it’s at for your gen; the emphasis changes with each decade. Let’s hope things are improving. We worked hard towards equality in the 70’s.
I agree with Phil Devereux’s comment above. Please don’t assume that just because some youths are disenchanted with the current political parties that they don’t have an understanding of how politics works. In fact, to be disenchanted with the parties, surely an understanding of the political process would be required first to make such a judgement.
There are also some broad generalisations made about both young and older gay men and the Gen X crowd which are unfair. I’ve met many people from your/my generation interested in both financial and humanist issues. As for older guys viewing younger guys as ‘entertainment’, maybe you’re just mixing with the wrong crowd.
The disclaimer included was quite confusing. Why would you buy a so-called ‘dumb’ guy a drink in the hope he’ll shut up? Why not just talk to someone else and leave him alone?
My only comment is that I’d be a little more cautious when essentially speaking on behalf on an entire generation. I (unfortunately) doubt we can simply breed out those ideological clashes.
I disagree that “it’s quite unfortunate that we are seeing many kids around my age disenchanted with both major political parties.”
You can be disenchanted with both major political parties and still actively involved and interested in politics. I am a young, gay man who is thoroughly involved in politics. Unfortunately, a lot of people, rightly disillusioned with the ALP and LNP, disregard politics altogether because they don’t realise there are principled people representing the interests of the public in parliament as independents and in our minor parties.
What bars are you going to where being young and gay gets you free drinks? Why haven’t I been told about this rule. When I first went to the city I had to scramble my dollars to buy passion pop to drink in the gutter before sneaking into Stonewall.
And I’m not sure if I agree with the sentiments that an older generation of men don’t want to talk politics. In my experience, I think they see that as a sign of direction, worldly knowledge. In fact I’d more assume older gay men mostly dismiss younger gay men in the “DISCLAIMER” section of your piece – the ones refusing to bring up politics for being too complicated to hold a conversation with.
Obviously there is a generation gap in that GEN X HOMO have been through far worse than we have in consideration to their rights. I’m sure a gay young man growing up in the 1970’s would never have thought they could march down Oxford St protesting for marriage, let alone come out.
Finally, it’s not really any one else’s job to assume you have a brain, and if someone thinks they can assume your intelligent through what you wear or how you dance or what you drink well they can go find a glory hole.
Yes Tony Abbott did cut his balls off and write in a Blood Oath “I feel uncomfortable about gays”, but as we are told by conservative Hillsong Happy clappers like Peter Costello, the Liberal Party is a broad Church- in other words they get into bed with every crackpot such as Barny the Banana using just spit instead of lube in the name of the holy father the National Party. I mean fuck the lefties and their condoms and radical ideas of Civil Rights for the gays? But do not let this current mob of throffing at the mouth religious zealots make you become the Nanny the State- look to the UK if you want to see real conservatives in action. At least they separate Church from State, and do not go around as Tony Abbott did saying “A woman’s greatest gift is her virginity to man”.
Many people who vote Liberal support GLBTI rights as the polls show, but the polls also show that politicians are not representing the majority who vote for them who support equality. Young Liberals support equality, as does Young Labor, so generational change is underway in the parties, and some of us do not wish to wait for change and are flocking to the Greens who does not make your birth a punishment.
The issue for some older members of the GLBTI community is not that they are Aslan roaming Narnia, but they believed in real Liberal values and did not seek to have laws of religion forced onto citizens. Not to mention they grew up just hoping to shag and not go to jail, so this talk of Marriage can be a bit excessive to some.
But do not give up, keep your flame of hope going. Every generation gets told “you’re too young to understand”. If you are good enough to be paid less, die for us in foreign lands, and pay for University unlike Gillard or Abbott who got it free, then you have every right to form an opinion and not be put down due to your age.
Are you for real, someone that speaks about being ‘young & gay’ the way you do, shouldn’t be taken seriously about anything….