The Witwatersrand School of Arts was proud to host their annual Wits Pride from the 27th September – 01st October. The Witsies usually celebrate sexual diversity a week prior to the Joburg Pride, which is bigger and inclusive of the entire Gauteng.
The school had a variety of events being showcased during this period. The events included a ‘Gay Wedding”, between two men, which took place in front of the Great Hall in the presence of a large number of students (straight and gay), including a few Wits officials.  |
| Wits Gay Parade |
I walked in through the door from University Corner, heading to the 16th floor as the show was not held at a normal theatre. As I walk inside the door, I am confronted by a tall young boy with high heeled shoes, wearing almost close to nothing. I ignore the boy, as I am a bit shocked. The youngster attempts what seemed to be a greeting, but I also ignore and fast-forward my walk to the elevator.
The lift seemed as if it was waiting upon my arrival since there was a female in the door, who is also wearing fewer clothes with over done make up on her face. I ask to pass through she tells me to “wait, it’s not yet my turn”. I wait. She finally lets me in and I get inside the lift, to be yet again confronted by a guy in a suit, caring a bible in his hand. The chap starts crying “it’s a sin! God made Adam and Eve not Adam and Adam”. I am confused at this time and can’t wait to get to the 16th floor and watch the show. The red button in the elevator strikes 16, and to my delight I exit.
It is dark, there are people dressed as prostitutes standing outside. I take a moment to look around if I’m lost and suddenly, I am grabbed by this big muscled white boy, wearing nothing but, his very tiny underwear. Stunned as I am, I walk with him through a butler door and he whispers in my ear, “welcome to the show”.
There are eleven doors, each with a show of its own. I choose a door and there is a female dressed in black. She begins sharing her story about kissing a girl and not knowing she was a homosexual and the tragedies of living a lie thereafter. Upon her completion, she asks me and other viewers to share our first kiss memories by writing on the wall.  |
| Lady Gaga |
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| Lady Gaga in her element |
Now, my motive for writing about this show is not to critique or inform you about it but, more to pose a few questions.
Do you guys think that, this is the right way of educating people about homosexuality? Is there a need to involve sex and promiscuity when portraying homosexuality? What value do you think such a production has to the South African Theatre Industry? What are your views on Warren Nebe, the director?
I would appreciate your thoughts and suggestions. Drop me a comment, let’s work this out.
Well, I must say that this has been the argument I have always posed to people like me and those that are not like me, I hang in circles that are mixed in all comparison.
ReplyDeleteDoes my sexuality equal to the act or does my sexuality equal a preference or does it equal who I am with?
Neither, my sexuality is based on the deep need to connect on a spiritual, mental, physical and emotional level with a partner and that just being a MAN. So do I need to portray my sexual acts in public or be overly sexual for people to understand that I am gay? No I just have to be me and me consists of being the Manager at work, the best friend, the mentor, the helper, the care giver, the motivator and non of these character that embody me have to do with my sexual action or sexual expressions.
So in answer to you question my friend, this production just exemplifies what the Heterosexual community thinks of us and will continue to think of us, this play gives justification to the statements made by my heterosexual friends
“ Gay people are so free with themselves.”
“Gay people have more sex then anyone else I have ever known”
“all you guys ever talk about is sex”
“I’m scared to leave my man with any of you, you will convert him.”
“Don’t you people have no standards or morals?”
And I know all of us have done it, heard it, been part of it, and I am not judging here but asking another question, is this environment I want to bring my children too and will he/she grow up letting themselves be so free of promiscuity and perversion? Just a question not an opinion?
Signed
Queen Mother!
While I do not believe that homosexuality is about sex but men regardless of their sexual orientation are largely driven by physical pleasure and needs. But the question is not what the straight people think of gay men but rather what do gay men like the world including straight people to think of them. Last weekend, we had the Jo'burg pride and what images did the gay men who attended it largely portrayed except the usual ridiculous images of men in high heels, heavy makeup and undies.
ReplyDeleteIn the same vein, gay people who are so-called straight looking and in committed relationship tend to exclude themselves from the usual gay scene such that hardly anybody knows of their existence even amongst gay community.
It is up to gay people to showcase the totality of their existence and that they are not just about entertainment and arts but they exist in all spheres of life and they are not just about sex and fun but have multi-faceted lives like all.
Wow!! And to be honest with you guys, i really thought i was the only one with these questions. Queen Mother, i also fear that with theatre productions as Queer as Folk,the teaching of homosexuality will remain similar to the perception straight people have of gay people...
ReplyDeleteI do get your point though, Nkos of being a man and having "needs" but, why is it that heterosexual men can still mantain morality, family values, connection(s), emotions in a relationship within their sexuality without being patrayed in a promiscuous manner?
Just had to copy this comment from Facebook so all of guys can read what one of the performers form FUCK ME QUEER had to say:
ReplyDeleteRahiem Whisgary: Regretfully, I was a part of the performance. My personal views on the piece is that it simply reinforces stereotypes of homosexual men as oversexed and promiscuous. The piece itself did not deal at all with any REAL societal, moral or ethi...cal issues around being homosexual, problems that homosexual people encounter, marginalization, nothing at all really! Even the religious undertones of some of the performances were over sexualized or not explored sufficiently to inspire discourse on the issue of religion and homosexuality.
The lack of a real lesbian story and experience was also missing, with the only allusion to lesbianism coming from a bi-sexual female.
As a celebration of SEXUAL diversity, the piece lacks monogamy, a real role play and/or S&M experience and, again, lesbianism. Sex, particularly homosexual sex, is reduced to an underground dirty promiscuous experience without any justification or, dare I say, solution.
In terms of celebrating sex and sexual diversity, FuckmeQueer fails terribly due to a lack of representation of various other sexual sub-altern cultures and minorities (doesn't speak to the entire LGBTI community). In terms of the gay community which it does represent, it fails to engage in the issues of that community and reduces the WHOLE gay community to an underground dingy highly promiscuous group of men.
(tried commenting on your blog but didn't want to go through)
pride as a whole is meant to stand for the rights of the LGBTIQ commuity by using sexual orientation as a lence... in our everyday media and this includes print, television and theatre... emages and potrayals of sexual acts by the heterosexual community are constatly being potrayed and are openly embrased by the community... now my questiion is why is it that it has to be a big deal when homosexuality is potrayed in such a manner? is it also not normal for homosexuals to express themselves sexualy? are we all not sexual beings? Fuck Me Queer was verry clear in its specific theatre genre that it is using sexuality as a lence to takle broader issues, and it did that quite stratigically as theatre has never and does not have the obligation to present litteral reprsentations... I see no problem with it and infact It is becouse of a fobia within ourselves to and for ourselves that we derive such interpretations.
ReplyDeleteGood one Theodor. But, now the question is Why is it that whenever there is a celebration or education or even production in a homosexual context, the only focus is on sex, promiscuouty and nudity? Isn't there another way of telling homosexual stories without involving sex? How does that represent gay people in the straight world?
ReplyDeleteI totally get your point(s) but, i can't wait for the day when homosexuality and its stories or teaching thereof is told in a non sexual manner. Focusing on deeper issues such as mantainace of gay partnerships, family in gay relationships, love and connection in the gay community etc...
Here's another comment from Facebook:
ReplyDeleteSiphosihle Snow Masango:
I think the image that the public has about gay men is largley our own doing and until we start potraying our selves in a better light the stereo typing will never change ! And plays such as that do nothing to better our cause
about a minute ago · LikeUnlike
lUCOH MHLONGO from Facebook says:
ReplyDeleteLucoh Mhlongo October 10 at 11:48pm Report
Just read your blog on being gay, sex, theatre and Warren Nebe.
I agree that being is not about sex. This view is shared many but followed by a few. Sad fact is that where there are gay boys, sex is sure to follow. Theatre can act as a tool to portray social conditions, we may choose to sugarcoat and picket fence it, or be raw and heightened about it. Warren and I share similar theories. Working on a theatre piece with him in 2006 at Wits, I had developed partial anger towards society and I chose to put it on stage. I was rebellious and when writing nd staging my piece it seemed the more raw the better! I wanted shock therapy. I incorporated dance. I presented it to Warren and he said 'U got scared, push the envelope' and this was true. I worked on it more and liberated myself. The shock opened the eyes of my audience which provoked questions which I was glad to answer. U see at times society brushes gay people under the carpet, they are exumed as forms of entertainment and amusement. The reason why we sometimes choose to take traditional and religious institutions and bend them is so people are jarred from comfort and are pushed to the point where they say 'Hey, what the hell are u doing?!?!?' And that point is where lifechanging discourse happens.
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LUCOH and I further adds: Copied from Facebook
ReplyDeleteSiyabonga Mposula October 10 at 11:57pm
Wow. That is very tru Lucoh, but then my question is Does that "raw", ''shock" add any eduactional value to the community in subject? What sort of representation does dealing with an issue in "Warren's approach" has towards the society in subject?
And, may i please post your comment on the blog...If you don't mind...
Lucoh Mhlongo October 11 at 12:10am Report
I don't mind at all.
We can be literal about things and present piece like Generations' Senzo and Jason, but we all know that not how it is. Its cute yeah, but too condescending and not a true representation. Education to me comes like this...You are presented with information, which provokes thought, which leads to a question which then gets answered. If I wear tiny dress on stage, fall on the floor and simulate an orgasm...what possible questions can come from this? Is it all about sex? No, its not. Being gay is sharing your life with another man. There is love involved, there are fights, there is sex, there are ups and downs, joy and sadness, laughter and tears...it is the social state of mind that has been perpetuated by both straight and gay, but now we use this very stereotype to combat itself coz honestly once ther credits are done, I forget about Senzo and Jason.
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Interesting take of the subject matter by Theodor and Lucoh. @Siya, I don't know what is ur definition of morality that u see from straight men and their relationships. There are extremely few married men who don't cheat or use hookers, its not only celebs like Tiger Woods, Andre Nel, Rooney, etc who do it. But one thing that most have are wives who are willing to stay on in their marriages while their husbands shag other women and at times getting kids out of wedlock. The society accepts and to a certain extent condones such behaviour.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to gays, it is just only men who are in a relationship and are generally not in a civil union and as such there tends not to be the wife at home looking after kids while the hubby is shagging others. This bring the easiness with which relationships are ended. And the fact that men are largely physical than emotional in their nature, we are then so easy and willing to do whatever it takes for that shag.
I do however believe that some of the production about LBGT are not about sex, promiscuity and nudity and there's plenty of movies showcasing every year as part of Out of Africa whose stories deal with the deeper issues. So maybe, different productions send different messages about the lifes of LBGTs.
The show at Wits was the most uncomfortable theatre experiences I have ever had. If you had to invite me to the show again I would decline the invite. This is one of those shows that you have to experience and once is more than enough. I remember I had to watch a movie when I got back home just to refresh my memory of the trauma I saw at Wits. There were other parts of the show I enjoyed but mostly I was really uneasy the whole time I was there.
ReplyDeleteThe media does however potrays homosexuality in a sexual light. My question is who's fault is it?
We all know its our fault and where there is smoke there is fire. I don't believe anything will change really which is really sad. I say live your life the way you feel fit. Keep your moral ground and lets hope one day (good luck because you are going to wait a while) the perceptions will change.
I hear that Donald. Whose fault is it, you ask...In terms of "fault" one could conclude that, it the homosexual's fault as they're the one who conform to the ideology and actually lead in its direction.
ReplyDeleteAs for an individual chosing his/her lifestyle...I think that is one of the most constructive comments i've had in a while.