Gore Vidal

So, he is not immortal (as he thought) and has died and gone to h….
by Charlie Leck

I shall not write a long essay about Gore Vidal. If you want such a thing, you can find lengthy and well-written obituaries about him today in the New York Times and the Washington Post – and, I suppose, in the other two or three leading papers in the country also.

He was a queer duck, but he was a brilliant man and an extraordinarily good writer. I’ve read a few of his works, each of which seems to be lengthy, yet terribly good. Two of his novels – Lincoln, for one, and Burr, for the other – rank among the best books I’ve ever read.

I keep a copy of Vidal’s most essential book, United States, here on my desktop. When I need to read something good, I often turn to it and read or reread an essay. It’s wonderful stuff – a compilation of essays he wrote between 1952 and 1992.

There is one thing I should add about Vidal that has some contemporary relevance as we think today about the question of same-sex marriage. I first got involved in trying to understand homosexuality on an intellectual basis – rather than an emotional one – in the late 60s. With guidance from a fellow named Jim Clayton, I began, back then, to release my fears of the subject and to understand it more viscerally, compassionately, scientifically and historically. With Vidal, I came to believe that none of us is strictly heterosexual or strictly homosexual. There is something – even if only a small bit – of both in each of us. When we are relieved of our fears about the subject, we can admit that to ourselves and be more understanding and accepting of each other’s sexual preferences.

Gore Vidal is dead at the age of 86. His writings will hang around for centuries and stimulate and confound people to no end.

[An extraordinary obituary, written by Michael Dirda, appeared in today’s Washington Post.]

“There is no human problem which could not be solved if people would simply do as I advise!” [Gore Vidal]

“Vidal collected the best of his discursive prose in United States (1993), a mammoth volume of literary essays, political polemics and autobiographical reminiscences for which he received the National Book Award. It included a scandalously frank account of the Kennedys entitled ‘The Holy Family’ and a series of irreverent takes on U.S. presidents, including John Adams, Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses Grant, Theodore Roosevelt, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan.” [Michael Dirda]

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New York Votes for Gay Marriage

I’m celebrating this morning for good, old New York. How different it is from rural Minnesota and my small town.
by Charlie Leck

That small percentage inside me that is gay is rejoicing mightily this morning as I read in the NY Times that the state of New York has passed a law that will give gays and lesbians the right to marry and all the legal protections and benefits that go with marriage. Hooray!

An old friend of mine and an expert of matters of the Protestant Church and its relationship to gays and lesbians, many years ago, taught me a great deal about what it means to be gay. He theorized that each and every one of us has a percentage of our sexual makeup that is gay. It might be a very tiny percentage or it might be a large amount – and we’re born with it! Conversely, every individual who is gay has a percentage of the heterosexual within him or her. The individual who is truly healthy, when it comes to his or her sexuality, is the one who can recognize that and handle it well.

Now this will be controversial even among my readers. Can you imagine trying to convince the Michel Bachmanns of the world that this is true?

Those who rebel intensely against any homosexual tendencies or characteristics they might have inside themselves are the ones who often turn out to be intensely homophobic. Having had this thesis offered to me for thought, I have often observed those homophobes I’ve met with this in the back of my mind – and wondered. I’ve wondered about the basis of or for the threat these people feel. Why the lack of sympathy, understanding and tolerance? Why the fear? Why the loathing?

I’ve had the good fortune to have a number of gay friends in my life. They’ve taught me a lot and helped me understand that one’s sexual character or inclinations – one’s sexuality, if you will – is not very often a matter of choice. I tried to express that a week or so ago in a blog I called BORN THIS WAY. If you haven’t read that, and this subject interests you, you may want to go back and read it.

So, on this historic morning for the people of New York, I am having two conflicting thoughts. One is, of course, of great joy and sense of celebration that the legislature and governor of that state could muster the courage and bravery it took to do what is right. It is a shame to say that, but the opposition to the legislative action is vicious and even dangerous.

My second thought is about what we will face here in Minnesota in the coming year as the campaign heats up about the ballot initiative to amend the constitution of our state to define marriage as only between a man and a woman. The campaign will be a difficult one and, at times, vicious and cruel. My chips are in and I’m committed to work against such an amendment because of the ignorance behind it.

I live in an area or region within this state that is extremely conservative. Most of my neighbors out here are instinctive and knee-jerk conservatives. This issue of gay-marriage is one they won’t even discuss. They dismiss the possibility out-of-hand. Nope! Never! Impossible! It is difficult to even have a discussion of sexuality because the subject is often regarded as taboo.

I remember one of my first and dearest gay friends. I’ve written about him here before. I met him in the late 60s and spent quite a few hours talking to him about the agony his parents were going through because of his femininity and obvious gay nature. My friend’s mother totally blamed herself; and his father was willing to agree with that assessment. I went with him on the long drive to his hometown and his parent’s house one day. They had agreed to sit down and discuss the subject. It took only a few minutes for the father’s fuse to burn down and he exploded on me and drove us both from “his” house, telling his son never to return. Within a few weeks, my friend was dead. He decided he could not go on living in such estrangement .

This is the complexity of this extraordinary issue. Oh, that we could celebrate love between human beings! That is what the legislation in New York State does. Hooray!

I’ve had chats with God about this and I’m convinced that He/She is on the side of allowing humans to love one another as fully and completely as they can.

Now, it’s on to Minnesota!

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