Analysis Of At The Abbey Theater By Rory O Neill

At the Abbey Theater in Dublin, Rory O Neill, a LGBT activist and drag queen known as Panti, confessed that he was a homophobe like everyone else. Panti explained that to grow up in a society that is overwhelmingly homophobic and to escape unscathed would be miraculous.† As a black man, I am very aware of racism and how it operates whether institutionally, internally or personally mediated. As a gay man, something I am still trying to deconstruct, I have been oblivious, perhaps intentionally, to my internalized homophobia. This dissonance in self-awareness is partially due to the fact that I knew I was black from early childhood but did not realize I was gay until sixth grade and did not begin to even accept it until twelfth. Many people compare the struggles of being black to that of being gay. In my opinion, despite some similarities the struggles are completely different. One is rooted in the legacy of over 200 years of slavery and the other in the tradition in people trying to cure homosexuality. One is more of an external conflict, the other internal. When I am followed around in stores like J.Crew or Saks, I am outraged and speak up. Realizing that ignorant people need to be educated, I usually write a letter to the VP of the company or loudly claim that I am being racially harassed in front of other customers. And it works. The VP s call me back and apologize, the staff goes through a sensitivity training, and I usually get a gift card with a hefty sum. On