Social Studies
”...we debated: assimilation vs. revolution. I’m no cheerleader for assimilation per se, but in the movie the assimilationists were advocating nonviolence and identification with the Other in that bastardized Buddhist way that gets me everytime. You expressed sympathy for the revolutionaries, who argued, stay freaky and blow ‘em up before they come for you, because no matter what they say, the truth is they want you dead, and you’re fooling yourself if you think otherwise.”
Because the Gay Rights Movement is fraught with violence and is at its core about sex, it can be hard to talk about it without breaking taboo.
Above is an excerpt from the writing piece that I did for this study this semester, on the Stonewall riots (read it here). The 260 word project was distilled from many sources, and is to be inserted as sticky notes into the APUSH textbook. It was a pretty serious meditation on what I think is really important about Stonewall, not just what matters to a history textbook.
But in writing it I began to tap into a greater idea, which I began to touch on in excerpt. It is that of the question that I will pursue next semester: What is contemporary queer culture? Although, in fact, I don’t believe this is the question I want to be asking, but I haven’t developed the right vocabulary to correctly ask the question. In reality it is about definitions: What is queer? And how do queer people fit into (or actively reject) society? It’s a huge complex exploration, like most of other work, deeply rooted in queer theory. I have begun to explore it through conversation with people in my life - Nathan Chan, Zak Kline, Erin Galligan-Baldwin - and will continue to next semester, with more concrete intention.
This is a project of research and personal exploration, which I reflect in my actions and words more than anything else. I began this study because as a queer person it is hard to get a sense of my communities history, it’s not like I’ve grown up in a family of queer people - no matter how open minded my family may be. So I have begun to get a sense of how the identity that I affiliate with fits into the world.
I think the struggle with this may be that Ben Heintz, the Social Studies advisor, is new ish to Pilot, and demonstrating my learning to him is different than demonstrating it to Chris or Adrian. Especially because this is a study with very little output.
- Maggie Nelson, The Argonauts
Because the Gay Rights Movement is fraught with violence and is at its core about sex, it can be hard to talk about it without breaking taboo.
Above is an excerpt from the writing piece that I did for this study this semester, on the Stonewall riots (read it here). The 260 word project was distilled from many sources, and is to be inserted as sticky notes into the APUSH textbook. It was a pretty serious meditation on what I think is really important about Stonewall, not just what matters to a history textbook.
But in writing it I began to tap into a greater idea, which I began to touch on in excerpt. It is that of the question that I will pursue next semester: What is contemporary queer culture? Although, in fact, I don’t believe this is the question I want to be asking, but I haven’t developed the right vocabulary to correctly ask the question. In reality it is about definitions: What is queer? And how do queer people fit into (or actively reject) society? It’s a huge complex exploration, like most of other work, deeply rooted in queer theory. I have begun to explore it through conversation with people in my life - Nathan Chan, Zak Kline, Erin Galligan-Baldwin - and will continue to next semester, with more concrete intention.
This is a project of research and personal exploration, which I reflect in my actions and words more than anything else. I began this study because as a queer person it is hard to get a sense of my communities history, it’s not like I’ve grown up in a family of queer people - no matter how open minded my family may be. So I have begun to get a sense of how the identity that I affiliate with fits into the world.
I think the struggle with this may be that Ben Heintz, the Social Studies advisor, is new ish to Pilot, and demonstrating my learning to him is different than demonstrating it to Chris or Adrian. Especially because this is a study with very little output.
I am earning ½ of a social studies credit this year, for my queer (art) history study. This has grown into a study of queer culture as well.
Civic Literacy
I began this study because I wanted to gain a better understanding of my my identity fits both into greater society and into the queer community. Overall I have have come to the (pretty straightforward) conclusion that as a white man, no matter how gay, I have a ton of privilege.
Because of this I have to work extra hard to be educated about the queer community that is not primarily gay white men. I must make space for many perspectives and experiences in my world, research, and work.
History and Culture
My exploration started with the Netflix documentary The Death and Life of Marsha P Johnson, which explored her alleged murder in 1993, but she stands as a very important figure in gay rights movement, and is often credited with being the first to throw things (coins, and later bricks maybe) at the Stonewall riots. The film also followed Marsha’s contemporary Silvia Rivera, what was also at Stonewall.
Since August I have been listening to LGBTQ+ podcast Homophilia as entertainment, but once I heard the hosts talking about the Marsha P Johnson documentary I began to use it as a resource to bring me to other podcasts relevant to my study, most importantly Making Gay History by Eric Marcus. On Making Gay History I listened to interviews with Silvia, Marsha, and others, including Dr. Evelyn Hooker, and founders of early gay rights groups.
I went on to watch Paris is Burning, and briefly exploring drag ball culture, and watched Angels in America, which, while also being an important piece of queer theater history, shed some light on the AIDs epidemic.
I have continued this historical exploration, reading a book about Stonewall, and continuing to follow Homophila and Making Gay History. I did, however, also take the step to actually producing a piece of writing from this research, in the form of my Stonewall Sticky Notes (See Queer (art) History in Projects).
Civic Literacy
I began this study because I wanted to gain a better understanding of my my identity fits both into greater society and into the queer community. Overall I have have come to the (pretty straightforward) conclusion that as a white man, no matter how gay, I have a ton of privilege.
Because of this I have to work extra hard to be educated about the queer community that is not primarily gay white men. I must make space for many perspectives and experiences in my world, research, and work.
History and Culture
My exploration started with the Netflix documentary The Death and Life of Marsha P Johnson, which explored her alleged murder in 1993, but she stands as a very important figure in gay rights movement, and is often credited with being the first to throw things (coins, and later bricks maybe) at the Stonewall riots. The film also followed Marsha’s contemporary Silvia Rivera, what was also at Stonewall.
Since August I have been listening to LGBTQ+ podcast Homophilia as entertainment, but once I heard the hosts talking about the Marsha P Johnson documentary I began to use it as a resource to bring me to other podcasts relevant to my study, most importantly Making Gay History by Eric Marcus. On Making Gay History I listened to interviews with Silvia, Marsha, and others, including Dr. Evelyn Hooker, and founders of early gay rights groups.
I went on to watch Paris is Burning, and briefly exploring drag ball culture, and watched Angels in America, which, while also being an important piece of queer theater history, shed some light on the AIDs epidemic.
I have continued this historical exploration, reading a book about Stonewall, and continuing to follow Homophila and Making Gay History. I did, however, also take the step to actually producing a piece of writing from this research, in the form of my Stonewall Sticky Notes (See Queer (art) History in Projects).
QUARTER 1
I am earning ½ Social Studies credits, this is for my study of queer history, art, and culture. So far this study has been purely researched based. I have produced nothing yet, I am just learning. I’ve watched many documentaries, listened to podcasts full of interviews with queer people, and read parts of books about these topics. For the most part this research has fallen under the standards of History and Culture, but they are so connected within this study that I won’t try to differentiate between the two.
History and Culture
My exploration started with the Netflix documentary The Death and Life of Marsha P Johnson, which explored her alleged murder in 1993, but she stands as a very important figure in gay rights movement, and is often credited with being the first to throw things (coins, and later bricks maybe) at the Stonewall riots. The film also followed Marsha’s contemporary Silvia Rivera, what was also at Stonewall.
Since August I have been listening to LGBTQ+ podcast Homophilia as entertainment, but once I heard the hosts talking about the Marsha P Johnson documentary I began to use it as a resource to bring me to other podcasts relevant to my study, most importantly MAking Gay History by Eric Macus. On Making Gay History I listened to interviews with Silvia, Marsha, and others, including Dr. Evelyn Hooker, and founders of early gay rights groups.
I am earning ½ Social Studies credits, this is for my study of queer history, art, and culture. So far this study has been purely researched based. I have produced nothing yet, I am just learning. I’ve watched many documentaries, listened to podcasts full of interviews with queer people, and read parts of books about these topics. For the most part this research has fallen under the standards of History and Culture, but they are so connected within this study that I won’t try to differentiate between the two.
History and Culture
My exploration started with the Netflix documentary The Death and Life of Marsha P Johnson, which explored her alleged murder in 1993, but she stands as a very important figure in gay rights movement, and is often credited with being the first to throw things (coins, and later bricks maybe) at the Stonewall riots. The film also followed Marsha’s contemporary Silvia Rivera, what was also at Stonewall.
Since August I have been listening to LGBTQ+ podcast Homophilia as entertainment, but once I heard the hosts talking about the Marsha P Johnson documentary I began to use it as a resource to bring me to other podcasts relevant to my study, most importantly MAking Gay History by Eric Macus. On Making Gay History I listened to interviews with Silvia, Marsha, and others, including Dr. Evelyn Hooker, and founders of early gay rights groups.