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cantaloupe's picture

felice picano

I really liked Felice Picano.  I was skeptical (like always) because he seemed very prominantly gay.  When someone devotes their life to gay issues, writing, etc.  I get a little fidgety.  To me being gay is just being gay, not a career.  Anyhow, I was impressed how Felice Picano was able to turn my thinking about him around.  He wasn't academically snobby gay.  He was just a gay man who was part of the revolution.  And he wanted to write about it.  My favorite part was at the very end when he said that labeling himself as gay wasn't for him because he doesn't have to label himself for himself: he just is.  I was happy he said that because it makes me feel less insane.  I think that point is the point I've been trying to make all along with our discussion of gender and transcending gender and the restrictions of being a "woman" or "man."  I kept on saying "do what you feel!  Just be.  Isn't that the easiest thing to do?"  Talking about categories isn't super important because they are just for the world, and really, who cares about everyone else?  You live and are whoever you want.

The only part I didn't enjoy was his views on education and saying that where you go to school will define you later in life.  I think that is probably true in an academic sphere.  But in my mind there are plenty of people who could care less where you went to school.  And I pretty much plan on living around those people.  I think learning is important, but I hate that the institution of education is percieved as important because, to me, it is so inconsequential.

 
 

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