It’s Time to Include Gays and Lesbians in Our Study of...

The growth of gay people as a group has been astonishing. It is not possible to guess how exactly we will grow from our experiences in the years ahead, but it is possible to predict that growth will continue, one way or another. A diverse and strong global community has been established.(Clark 60) Dr. Don Clark, clinical psychologist and university professor, boldly expresses his views on the changing nature of the gay and lesbian community in his text, Loving Someone Gay. Clark describes how far gay people have advanced in the last thirty years, moving from isolated and fearful existences to lives marked by political power and potential. Indeed, the gay community, and lesbians in particular, have transformed into large and respected†¦show more content†¦Because the novel presents a portrayal of lesbianism that is far removed from current gay culture, it is not truly contemporary to the audience for which it was intended. To include it in such a curriculum would be an insult to the lesbian community of today. When first introduced, Rubyfruit Jungle was a tremendous commercial success. Hailed by many as the ultimate lesbian novel of its time, it took a bold and bawdy look at the lesbian experience in America. The storyline moved quickly, tracing the experiences of Molly Bolt, a young southern girl who had been adopted by a severe, conservative mother and her more liberal husband. Brown’s novel set a tone that was direct and controversial, and employed language that had never before been used in connection with the lesbian experience (Pela 2). The novel is uniquely American, as it traces Molly’s young life from her earliest years in York, Pennsylvania, through a move to a small southern town in Georgia, and finally to the city of New York, where Molly feels as though she belongs. In each setting, Brown forcefully exhibits her craft by capturing not just the dialogue, but the mannerisms, biases, and cultural peculiarities of each locale. Molly’s reactions to each move in her life reveal much, not just about her character and motivations, but about life in the latter half of the twentieth century. America began a shift toward a period of inclusion and acceptance of minorities and other subcultures in the 1960’sShow MoreRelatedSexual Sexuality And Its Effects On Society1443 Words   |  6 Pages and sexual self-expression is seen by many to be essential for heathy personhood. The media, public schools and medical professional often teach that healthy adults, or even adolescents, should explore their desires and express them. At the same time, sex is much less than it used to be. Sexual acts are often considered morally neutral, with no resulting shame or honor (reference). 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