Shaneequa : Peace Activist

Re: Creating Modern Queer Myths

Shaneequa said Aug 19, 2006, 7:40 AM:
 

Great topic!  I am reminded of a similar phenomenon- the “diva” worship among so many in our community.  Gay men are often enamored by female celebrities, so much so that the female “diva” becomes a goddess-like archetype for us.  This is not a recent phenomenon- Judy Garland, Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Lena Horne and other early stars were often idolized by gay men back during a time when most gays were closeted.  Mae West often credited gay men (or “pansies, as she lovingly referred) as being the reason for her success.  And who can forget the day of Judy Garland's death, when police were alerted that there would indeed be a massive gathering of “mourning homosexuals” in the illegal gay bars?(a day that would go down in history as the birth of the Gay Rights movement- the Stonewall riots.) 

I myself am very guilty of this diva-worship phenomenon.  When I was three years old, I would play my mother's Donna Summer records over and over again, dressing in heels and dancing in front of the mirror.  By the time I was five, I had discovered my life-long idol, Aretha Franklin, who continues to this day to be my absolute greatest inspiration.  For years I thought I was unique in my devotion to the diva, until I came out in college and discovered that virtually every gay man had his own diva, as well.  This was a major turning point in my life, as I realized that I was not some sort of “freak” or “fanatic.”  Each of my friends had his own idol: Madonna, Cher, Patti LaBelle, Tori Amos, Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, Ella Fitzgerald, and the list goes on.  What distinguished us from “regular” mainstream fans was that we idolized our respective divas not so much for their music or fame, but for how they touched our spirits.  As a good friend of mine once confessed, “Nina Simone isn't the greatest vocalist, but something about her makes me know that God is real!”

A casual observer might assume that this diva “worship” is nothing more than a sick obsession- a teeny-bopper crush on a celebrity.  But I don't believe that it is an obsession, not in the traditional sense, anyway.  I know that Aretha, for example, is not perfect- hell, she's far from it!  I recognize the human quality of her, and do not consider her a “goddess” or a saint.  She's an ordinary lady with a tremendous capacity for spirit- and she utilizes her talent as a vehicle to drive us closer to our own sense of spirit.  Aretha, for me, is not unlike any other archetype found in the spiritual community.  She has helped me to understand myself and my own connection to Spirit, and for this alone I exalt her.

I wonder if anyone else in this pod can relate to the “diva phenomenon,” or am I alone on this one? LOL!  I realize that this is not unique to gay men only, and I'm also well aware of the stereotypical implications of such a phenomenon (i.e.: Jack's obsession with Cher on Will and Grace?)  Yet I think it's most fascinating that so many gay men do identify with this. I would love to hear your thoughts on this.  Perhaps someone with a strong knowledge of Joseph Campbell's heroic psychology or Jungian philosophy can help me to understand this archetype phenomenon a little better.

-Shan