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Notes on the Straight Pill panel
Mar. 16th, 2010 11:26 amThis morning I received an email from a local convention regarding a panel I'd suggested. At Gaylaxicon 2009 we did a panel called "The Straight Pill." Here's my response to the email.
I absolutely want to be on this panel. I believe that this panel was one of our best at Gaylaxicon 2009.
This panel originated out of my time last summer when I was in ASL classes for two months. I started to see so many parallels between the Gay community and Deaf culture. Individuals in either can grow up alone and completely unattached to anyone who is also gay or deaf. Parents have a huge amount of control over a juvenile's access to gay or deaf communities and resources, and to how we form healthy self identities as a gay or deaf individuals. There are HUGE and very painful debates in the deaf culture around the subject of cochlear implants.Similar debates already happen around reparative treatment for homosexuality (which most believe doesn't even work). What if it was more direct like a device or drug?
Suggested viewing for the panel:
Sound and Fury: (http://soundandfuryfilm.com/) This is a documentary about a familie's struggle with the choice of whether to give their children coclear implants or not. Very powerful and even a bit painful to watch at times. This movie is available on Netflix Instant View and DVD.
Twilight of the Golds: While this movie isn't about a straight pill, it does resolve around a pregnant woman knowing her child will be gay. She and her family struggle around her debate whether to keep her pregnancy or not. She has a gay brother, played by Brendan Fraser, who really takes it personally that she would even consider an abortion just because her child is gay. Sadly this movie is not available on Netflix. I'll see if I can find it somewhere else. Joe thinks we have this on VHS.
Century City: Episode 5 "Sweet Child of Mine". The episodes revolves around a fertility doctor who refuses to tell his clients that their child will be gay. He has already noticed a steep decline in the births of gay children, and fears the complete decimation of the gay community. This is viewable on HULU (http://www.hulu.com/watch/
Some other angles that were raised in the Gaylaxicon panel were:
I would leave off the "cure" word from the description. I fear that might bias the conversation in an uncomfortable direction. How about changing it to "What are the implications of a drug or device that could alter one's sexual preference?"
I'd suggest modifying the Deaf culture analogy a bit too. I'd change it to "Can parallels be drawn from cochlear implants and the Deaf community? Is it a cure or the destruction of a culture?"
Here is my complete suggested description:
Some scientists have claimed to find a 'gay gene'. What are the individual and societal implications of a drug or device that could alter one's sexual preference, either temporarily or permanently? Can parallels be drawn from cochlear implants and the Deaf community? Is it a cure or the destruction of a culture?
I absolutely want to be on this panel. I believe that this panel was one of our best at Gaylaxicon 2009.
This panel originated out of my time last summer when I was in ASL classes for two months. I started to see so many parallels between the Gay community and Deaf culture. Individuals in either can grow up alone and completely unattached to anyone who is also gay or deaf. Parents have a huge amount of control over a juvenile's access to gay or deaf communities and resources, and to how we form healthy self identities as a gay or deaf individuals. There are HUGE and very painful debates in the deaf culture around the subject of cochlear implants.Similar debates already happen around reparative treatment for homosexuality (which most believe doesn't even work). What if it was more direct like a device or drug?
Suggested viewing for the panel:
Sound and Fury: (http://soundandfuryfilm.com/) This is a documentary about a familie's struggle with the choice of whether to give their children coclear implants or not. Very powerful and even a bit painful to watch at times. This movie is available on Netflix Instant View and DVD.
Twilight of the Golds: While this movie isn't about a straight pill, it does resolve around a pregnant woman knowing her child will be gay. She and her family struggle around her debate whether to keep her pregnancy or not. She has a gay brother, played by Brendan Fraser, who really takes it personally that she would even consider an abortion just because her child is gay. Sadly this movie is not available on Netflix. I'll see if I can find it somewhere else. Joe thinks we have this on VHS.
Century City: Episode 5 "Sweet Child of Mine". The episodes revolves around a fertility doctor who refuses to tell his clients that their child will be gay. He has already noticed a steep decline in the births of gay children, and fears the complete decimation of the gay community. This is viewable on HULU (http://www.hulu.com/watch/
Some other angles that were raised in the Gaylaxicon panel were:
- If there is a way to make gay people straight, is the reverse true? A good SF literary example is in David Gerrold's "Jumping Off The Planet" where for population control the government offers college scholarships for anyone willing to turn gay.
- Could the pill become a party drug? "I feel like being gay tonight. Or straight tonight." What would happen if you overdosed?
- Would this be a one time treatment, or on going? When a Deaf person takes off his or her cochlear implant, he or she is still deaf. If a gay person takes off his or her straight device, or stops taking the straight pill, will he or she be gay again? What are the implications of not completing/continuing treatment.
- How would this treatment be used in conservative cultures? What if the treatment was a hat, or some other kind of noticeable device like a cochlear implant? Would conservative parents choose to make their gay child straight even though the device would be noticeable to everyone? A real scarlet letter situation.
I would leave off the "cure" word from the description. I fear that might bias the conversation in an uncomfortable direction. How about changing it to "What are the implications of a drug or device that could alter one's sexual preference?"
I'd suggest modifying the Deaf culture analogy a bit too. I'd change it to "Can parallels be drawn from cochlear implants and the Deaf community? Is it a cure or the destruction of a culture?"
Here is my complete suggested description:
Some scientists have claimed to find a 'gay gene'. What are the individual and societal implications of a drug or device that could alter one's sexual preference, either temporarily or permanently? Can parallels be drawn from cochlear implants and the Deaf community? Is it a cure or the destruction of a culture?
