Flaunting It!

Jackson, Ed, Perksy, Stan

Publisher:  Pink Triangle Press, Toronto
Year Published:  1982   First Published:  1982
Pages:  312pp   Price:  $9.95  
Resource Type:  Book
Cx Number:  CX2700



Abstract:  FLAUNTING IT! is an anthology of articles spanning the first decade of the Canadian gay liberation periodical, The Body Politic. The book draws its title from the accusation, regulary made whenever homosexuals are at all visible or vocal, that they are "ramming" their preferences "down people's throats". Flaunting it.

The Body Politic has fought against the attitude, sometimes held even by gays themselves as well as by those hostile to them, that homosexuality is some how dirty or perverted, a guilty secret that properly belongs in the "closet". Instead, The Body Politic communicates the message that gay is good, and it also communicates the strong belief that only by organizing and acting can lesbians and gay men win and keep the rights to which they are entitled. Articles on gay history and culture, and reports on political and legal battles, all reflect this belief.

The most powerful parts of this anthology are the articles which flow most directly out of the principles that "the personal is political" and that "sexual politics matter". It is here that it becomes most clear that the issues raised by gay liberation transcend questions of civil rights or political organizing. In "Forgotten Fathers", Michael Lynch talks about the pain a gay father feels in haveng to decide between being honest about his gayness, and getting to keep his children. Lilith Finkler describe the anguish, confusion, and exhilaration of coming out as a lesbian at seventeen. Another article describe the special problems and additional obstacles faced by people who are handicapped as well as gay. Other topics include dancing, self-defence, child-adult relationships, censorship, lesbian humour, and psychiatry.

The Message of The Body Politic, and of this anthology, is that a serious examination of the questions raised by the gay movement means a basic re-evaluation of the way all of us lead our lives. The personal and the sexual have profound repercussions on structures of authority and power, on our fears and our willingness to seek and risk change. Confronting these issues is therefore of crucial importance.

[asbstract by Ulli Diemer]

Subject Headings

• Gay/Lesbian Issues
• Gays
• Lesbians