Miller: Show sensitivity toward gays
Not all find pageant groovy
By Jeff Miller
Miller lives in Roanoke. He is a marketing manager and public relations practitioner.
Glenvar High School has been hosting a pageant for 40 years now in which teenage boys dress up as women and compete for the title of “Miss Groovy Teen.” This year’s pageant was held March 2. Apparently, it is a fund-raiser for the prom.
March 15, 2012 - 8:05 AM
I have to agree with Mr. Miller. A couple days ago I suggested women not have sex with their husbands/boyfriends until they got on the right side of women’s issues. I think it was BUD who took me to task because I was implying the only thing men wanted from women was sex. It was a good point.
I’d like to invite all fair minded people to condemn the Miss Groovy Teen pageant because it implies it’s funny or somehow derogatory for men to be seen as feminine. That attitude is demeaning to women and treats them as something less than men.
Why isn’t it a celebration of males embracing their feminine side for a good cause in which schools don’t have much funds for?
Do you really think they’re celebrating their feminine side? I could be wrong but that’s not the impression I get.
I think they’re trying to get some laughs, to raise some money. Nothing more, nothing less. Let’s not make more of it than it is.
Saw a bit this weekend on the Hasty Pudding Club (at one of the Ivy League schools…Harvard?) that does pretty much the same thing. Harvard is, as you know, the center of regressive thinking. Whatever that means.
@4 89Hoo, I agree. They’re just doing it for laughs with no harm intended.
But they could appear in black-face just for laughs without intending to be insulting but obviously it’s unacceptable for white guys to appear in black face for laughs. The reason it’s wrong is because of the implied superiority of whites.
More than likely, if this viewpoint were pointed out to the kids they wouldn’t do it because they don’t want to be insulting. But I think it says something about our society that this can happen without thinking. Namely, we consider women to be of less value than men.
People need to lighten up.
I would consider myself a feminist, but to make this little pageant a big feminist deal – in light of the complete onslaught we’re seeing again real and genuine women’s rights in Richmond and DC – seems silly. The writer seems like a nice guy, but this piece is more about his unresolved issues than Glenvar’s pageant.
I think Mr. Miller raises some legitimate points to consider. There are people who take anything to an extreme and could use it as an excuse to bash a group that everyone seems to be laughing at, wink, wink. It may be something that like a lot of other school traditions has outlived its prime and point.
I have children at Glenvar High School. Groovy Teens is simply a way to make money for After Prom. The junior class organizes and presents this event and have done so for years. There is no intent of offending any class, gender, sexual orientation of oneself or any other group or organization! And by the way, this is NOT “the school’s most popular event being a cross-dressing beauty pageant”. It is only a part of the students entire school year. They also participate in sports, academic contest, science fairs, special needs programs, etc. I am happy for Mr. Miller that he is confident and happy as a 43-year old gay man, in a committed relationship. But please, do NOT read more into this event than what it really is. As far as Mr. Miller’s idea about “using a portion of the funds raised to make a small donation to the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network”, perhaps the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network would be willing to make an equal donation to Glenvar’s After Prom Committee to help us pay for and to ensure a safe environment for our students. Perhaps Mr. Miller would be willing to donate some of his money as well.
I am a Glenvar Highschool student, class of 2012, and I just want to throw out that our school is VERY SMALL and any way we can raise money to have an amazing prom, will be attempted. Now dont take that sentence out of term, all Im saying is that in a small community you simply need to do what you have to do. Groovy Teens is a tradition that our principal even took part in when he was a student, it is a harmless show that is put on for a fun night with laughs. Glenvar High also just hosted a Donkey Basketball game, some may feel offended by this as well, but just like were not bashing gays, were not torturing the donkeys. The solution is simple, tend to your own busniess and we will keep our traditions alive. If you feel offended, dont come to the show, period.
Scott M…. it wasn’t me that made a good point…I’m incapable.
But I was wondering what basic human rights the BLGTQ don’t have?
I’d like to stop beating this dead horse and do appreciate the many thoughtful replies but a philosophical question for everyone.
What is the moral difference, if any, between having the guys show up dressed as girls for the pageant and having white guys show up in black-face for a pageant? Would anyone be offended if black kids put on white-face make-up, polo shirts, khakis, and loafers for a pageant??
@10 BUD, list what you consider to be basic human rights and we’ll discuss.
Scott M…I’m not making the claim which is why I asked.
When I was in high school, we had “slave auctions” to raise money for the drama department. I was a slave one year and had to “do the bidding” of whomever “bought me” for the day. It was fun, it was meant to be harmless, and it never happened again….gee, I wonder why? You do not have to MEAN to be offensive, racist, bigoted or hurtful to be so. As we have often discussed in conversations involving race, whether you mean to sound racist in saying something is not the point, how it is taken, is the point.
I am a 53 year old woman, married for 32 years as of yesterday, with two grown children, and I not only see his point, I think that anyone else should be able to. I would not encourage my child to participate, support or cheer this on.
If this was a “fat girl” contest, or a “black face” contest, or a “slave auction” it might be easier for the rest of us to see the offense, but not readily seeing that this is offensive or sends the wrong message, does not mean it is not.
@13 BUD, forgive me but I’ve missed something then or forgotten. What did I write that prompted your question?
BUD, are you truly not aware of the basic human rights that the gay community does not have or have you just dismissed their claims as irrelevant?
The most basic of human rights, “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness” for starters. There are still places it is dangerous to be LGBTQ and places where it is acceptable to kill people who are. How can any class of people be said to have “liberty” or “the pursuit of happiness” if they cannot marry the person they love, if they cannot have the legal protections for their spouse that the rest of us take for granted and have to face discrimination and recriminations in society for being who they are?
How can we make sport and laughs and fun of “men” dressed as “women” in a pageant and then say “oh we don’t discriminate or make fun of transgender people”?
We had Slave Auctions too, fund raiser for the Latin Club (had to conduct the auction in Latin). The Romans had slaves…in fact the term “salve” is a cognate of Slav, because the Romans enslaved a good chunk of the slavic peoples in what is now Eastern Europe. No one got their panties bunched. I don’t know if they still do it (don’t much care, either).
15…well ‘salv’ is not a cognate of ‘Slav’, but ‘slave’ is…
Congrats Sandi! Happy Belated Anniversary!
ScottM, by your logic, anyone dressing up in ANY costume is by definition offending someone else. What’s the game plan for Halloween?
Gays have issues in this country, and the attack on women’s rights is very real, and to pretend this silly pageant rises to the level of either diminishes the attention paid toward legitimate problems. This is a silly, harmless little tradition, and as a woman I couldn’t care less if some High school boy puts on a wig for fundraising. The OP might be hurt by it, but from what he writes, that’s way more to do with his unresolved issues and not so much with this event.
#16 – “There are still places it is dangerous to be LGBTQ and places where it is acceptable to kill people who are.”
Acceptable to kill them? Where is that, Sandi?
Thanks Uptheriver.
Michael, that is what Google is for.
Kristen, I am not sure what you mean by “rises to the level”, but I think he made some legitimate points and they do pertain to “gay issues”. Who was talking about individuals dressing for Halloween? Although many do try to be as offensive as they can in that endeavor.
I know what Google is for, Sandi. I simply figured that if you were so knowledgeable about it, you could spout out where.
Since you quoted from the Bill of Rights (Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness), you obviously mean that there are places here in the US that it is acceptable to kill anyone who is LGBTQ.
I don’t need Google to know that nowhere in the US is it acceptable.
Well if that is what you thought I meant, allow me to rephrase my point: There are still places it is dangerous to be LGBTQ and places where people kill people who are.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_unlawfully_killed_transgender_people
Larry Keyes had an astute observation in today’s letter-to-the-editor. He said, “While the gas price at the pump reaches $4 to $5 a gallon, our economy skyrockets into the trillions of dollars in debt, unrest remains in Iran, our soldiers are being slaughtered in Afghanistan, Americans are losing their homes, unemployment remains high, Americans are slowly being stripped of their basic freedoms, and our elected representatives in Congress are spending precious time discussing contraceptives.”
And here on the RoundTable blog, it appears we’re trying to surpass Congress with something even more frivolous still: Determining whether or not Glenvar High’s “Miss Groovy Teen” pageant is inappropriate/offensive or not. 89Hoo and Kristen are correct. People need to lighten up. And if you’re gonna argue, find something meaningful to argue about.
Kristen and 89Hoo, you’re both kind of right and I kind of agree with you. I’m just exploring ideas. The possibility that this pageant shines a light into our collective psyche may or may not be correct. But unless we examine these issues, we may be continuing harm to women without knowing it. Not saying we are; saying we might be if we just blow it off.
On a lighter note, for Halloween I like to dress up as a priest. I’ve got the black shirt and “dog collar”. After all, we’re supposed to dress up as something scary right?
I agree with your Halloween sentiment Scott. I think I’ll dress up as a communist.
Wow, Halloween as insult, whoda thunk it?
Works for me Chuck.
Seriously? Dude, they’re poking fun at beauty contests. With hyperbolic drama and an expectation of wardrobe malfunctions. Take two seasons of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and call me when you feel better.