This book was hailed when it was published in 1993, as “tightly reasoned and responsible.” This observation seems still to apply today. Bruce Bawer is, by his own definition, a mainstream gay man. He has written a book which he had hoped would describe a direction for the gay folk to follow, to be recognized as a valuable, productive part of the society’s cultural fabric.
His thesis is broken into four parts, not, in this reviewer’s opinion, all of equal value. The first, “A sea of homosexuals” carefully works out his perception of the gay cultural spectrum from gay sub-culture to mainstream gay. This is the most thought provoking section of the book. He theorizes that the vocal, visible and sometimes outrageous gay minority often behaves in such a way that it threatens the society at large and thus is antithetical to the interests of gay folk generally.
He believes that those who identify with the gay sub-culture often subscribe to a group whose rules are equally as rigid as the closet from which they may have just recently emerged. It sets standards for dress, political thinking, artistic taste, as well as social and sexual behavior. He fears that many gather in that ideological space because they fail to recognize that there are other options, gay men (and women) who are mainstreamed and may well be virtually indistinguishable from their heterosexual neighbors and co-workers. He defends, often eloquently, the thinking, aspirations, hopes and goals of mainstream gays. Unfortunately he needs to fend off the attacks of both the heterosexual culture and gay sub-culture proponents.
His arguments resonate with me and with many of the gay men with whom I regularly come into contact.
The next section, “Don’t you think homosexuality is wrong?” deals with arguments raised for denial of equal treatment as advanced by the Roman Catholic church, the federal government, the US military, the fundamentalist churches and local citizens (some of whom react out of fear to the aggressive behavior of the most frenetic fringe of the gay sub-culture). His thought processes are consistent, his writing convincing, and his logic impeccable. These pages articulate what I wish I could remember so that I could rebut the criticisms aimed at us as a group.
The section, “Everything I do is gay”, describes the writer’s perception of how his sexual orientation affects his worldview (Weltenshauen), his relationships with others and with the artistic culture. I found this section a bit tedious even when I agree with his point(s). I agree that many “guppies” (gay yuppies) abound, but I rarely find them boring. I sometimes wondered if Bruce had been infected with a New York City superiority virus.
The final section, “The only valid foundation” deals with the writer’s personal feelings, experiences and social slights. In this many of us can identify but I think some of my friends have been more injured by the culture than Mr. Bawer. I empathized, but I also felt…“Get over it!!”
A Place at the Table will help all of us better understand our role in improving the relationship between our gay community and the society at large. We all should read it.