At the Crossroads :: Free Essays Online

At the CrossroadsIn November of 1974, a red headed Bostonian, who looked like she was straight out of Southie, was elected to the mammy House of Representatives. With fifty-nine percent of the vote, Elaine Nobles victory signified a remarkable emergence, for she was the first openly man politician to learn resource to a statewide office (Perry 37-65). Nobles election was the catalyst for a dramatic series of events, not only for the residents of the Fenway dominion in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, but for the entire country as well. Since that historical afternoon, Massachusetts has typic exclusivelyy had ten openly gay politicians on its ballot. On a national level, there are more than one ascorbic acid and sixty openly gay politicians, with an average of one hundred extra gays seeking office.It is necessary to establish that Elaine Noble and her many followers all come from a viewpoint that recognizes the inherent discrimination and oppression of gays. From this positi on, a pursuance of change through reform of the status quo is a crystalize priority. Another standpoint, called liberationist, seeks to restructure an inherently oppressing system. Both systems are political sum for achieving change- politicians themselves are usually reformers, while political organizations and individuals can function beneath either realm. The liberationist movement is often critical of the reformers like Noble, accusing them of wanting(p) to be just like the (straight) white male. Reformers see themselves more as multiculturalists- that a number of distinct groups exist, and their differences should be celebrated. Liberationists contradict that assumption with the cerebrate that gays are an oppressed minority, and as an oppressed minority, cannot function within the structures created by the larger majority. These assumptions are part of the minority thesis, which in a common sense forms the systemic differences of each group.Using the unique geographical s pace of Washington, DC, I plan to challenge the stereotypical assumption that gay identicalness is prerequisite to the election of an openly gay politician. When I say gay identity, I am specifically referring to the sense of community, pride, and progress. The distinct minority theses bequeath be used to convey the implications of identity in the political structure, and in turn the formation of a gay identity in the zone of Columbia.Though Elaine Noble was the first successful gay candidate to gain elected office, she was by no means the first openly gay politician. Frank Kameny, an activist who had previously lost his federal job because of his versed orientation, was the first openly gay person to seek national office.