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Overnight Snarky Puppy Jam: "Binky"

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ObserverArt3/07/2018 7:59:32 am PST

re: #193 HappyWarrior

I know. I’m not knocking him for that. Sag just said that Carter was the first President to advocate for LGBT Americans and it seems to his credit he did by opposing the Briggs initiative (banning of openly gay individuals teaching in schools) and by allowing LGBT people to serve in the foreign service. We’ve come a long way.

Oh I wasn’t saying you were knocking him, just trying to put the timeline in perspective.

I’ll use myself as an example. In 1969 I had my first job (outside of painting signs and posters and windows for local businesses) at The Book Store. It was owned and operated by one of my hometown’s first recognized homosexuals (keep the use of the word in context of the times). Why was he recognized by my mid-sized city? Sometime in the early 60s he was caught up in a police round up of local gay men in one of the city parks. He was infamous.

I got the job when a good friend who worked there took another job and recommended me. My parents were a little leery of it, as they knew the reputation of the owner, but I was like “who cares.” I was pretty naive at 15 when it came to such things. What do you expect of a Catholic Schooled kid.

I found the owner to be a good guy and he never did anything untoward to me, or my friend, that lived up to his reputation. He was arty and into literature, etc. I learned a lot about the business and I did all the stocking, and much of the creative stuff like lettering and gold foil embossing invitations and napkins for big dinners, etc. I was already on my path as an artist.

It was the best education. It showed me how much of the whole “scary homosexuals” was bullshit and they were just regular people too.

Then in 1972 I went to the Columbus College of Art & Design and some of my best friends that first year were gay. Not a one ever was more than a friend and that too taught me so much.

Added in was the music of the day, David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust, Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side”, Brian Eno and Roxy Music… and that all added to the big changes going on. At art college we actually in a way celebrated their gayness and made it part of the art world.

Then came Reagan and the big push was on.