Yes They Do by CoreyBlack
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Description
Ever since I started posting photos here on Renderosity, nearly 13 months ago, I haven't known what to do with this picture. In some ways it's a relic of a bygone era; in others, it remains as relevant now as it was when I made it in the late 1980s.
The world has changed a lot in the last 20+ years and being gay now appears to be closing in on the outskirts of the mainstream. Unfortunately, homophobia, transphobia, racism, and all of the other phobias and isms are still very much with us. The only difference I see these days is that minority-based hate is now more insidious and less in-your-face. At least until it erupts into violence, anyway. Modern technological advances mean that most of this garbage is now on web-sides I can avoid rather than scrawled in public places for all to see.
What made this particular scrawl even more painful, offensive, and infuriating, was that I had numerous friends at the time who were getting sick from HIV/AIDS, many of whom endured slow and miserable deaths. I lost count of all of the hospital rooms I'd visited, and memorial services I attended in the decade after this photo was taken. For gay men of a certain age (I'm in my later 40s) the ravages of the "plague" was an experience most of us will never forget.
This photo was made at the Belmont Rocks at Lake Michigan, in the New Town/Lakeview area of Chicago on September 29, 1988. It was made with a Nikromat SLR using Kodak P-3200 black and white film.
Comments (11)
Osper
Hmmm! You know, it's all in your definition of what is a "pervert". But you're right it is true! Interesting shot.
Chipka
Ooooh. You know, this was scrawled in more than one place. It even popped up along the underside of the Belmont El tracks for a short while. It faded, mercifully, but I remember seeing it. I always wondered at what inbred, knuckle-dragging, homonid wrote this...and it's particularly chilling for me, because of the fact that this picture was taken at a time when my own entry into the "adult" world was tinged by death tallies in the news, and the tacit declarations that somehow AIDS (remember when it was called GRID?) was an example of divine intervention. I find it hilariously ironic that the breed of people (and I use this term loosely) responsible for that particular train of thought are now victims of their own intolerance: many of them have fallen prey to HIV and to the rather dreaded, and psychotic Hepatitis-C--and you know it's bad when a disease gets an new letter! These diseases--for as quiet as it's kept--are running rampant in some of the most regressive, allegedly "faith-based" communities, according to CDC reports. Anyway, what you say and what you show is indicative of this country in so many ways--no one "civilized" will say "nigger" or "fag" or any other incendiary death-word, but look at the debates raging across this country now. Look at the current "hot button" issues of whether or not same-sex marriage should be allowed, accepted...or get this, condoned. Look at that thing that calls itself the Conservative Republican Party. I could go on and on about this, ad-nauseum, but when the deal goes down, I can only do what other civilized people do, and realize--quite happily--that those responsible for thoughts and actions like this scrawl of graffiti, will be relegated to the same pages of history as apologists for slavery, and men who were terrified that women voting would unravel the fabric of the universe. They're the laughing stock of history, and their cherished descendants are engaging in the very behaviors so frowned upon in earlier ages. And for me, THAT is the sweetest, most complete revenge. This raises an interesting question too. Who is the actual pervert: the one engaging in "distasteful" behavior, or the one wishing death upon scores and scores of other people?" This is a deliciously provocative shot.
watapki66
Wonderful photo, and you are right the world has changed, and at the same time has not. Much progress in many individual rights area, and much more to accomplish!
kawecki
I always thought that "perverts" were people that loved women (more nude bigger the perversion) or people that didn't go to church or people that posted in the galleries thumbs with nudity.
beachzz
Oh man, don't even get me started on this one. And I'm woman, straight, old enough to know better and young enough to get highly pissed off by idiots who write stuff like this. The only thing I know for sure is that karma will get them in the end. Right on, Corey--for this foto and for your words!!
Meisiekind
A whole war is locked up in those words! Great one Corey!
durleybeachbum
Like Marilyn I'm straight but not narrow, and until I read your fascinating narrative it didn't occur to me that the 'perverts' were gays! The image that sprang to mind was the gun-toting red-neck in Easy Rider. I too lost many friends to AIDS: one of them was a wonderful science teacher who I last saw at a Buddies BBQ shortly before his death. He asked me to start a safe sex programme at my school, which I did a month later. He had promised to come in and show them what dying looked like, but sadly didn't last till term started. It was a risky and innovative action at the time, but I still meet ex-pupils who remember those sessions more clearly than they do my art lessons! I suppose when a Bohemian grandma puts condoms on bananas it can grab your attention when you're 12.
auntietk
The mind boggles. What sort of person hates an idea or a group of people SO MUCH that they want people to die because of it? There's such fear in that sentiment. What people think of someone says loads about them and very little about the object of their thoughts, and this sort of graffiti is at the top of that list. I can tell you that the author of these two words has a lot of hate and anger and fear, but I can't even tell you who he's afraid of. A "pervert" could be anyone whose practices you don't share. Given the time in history it's pretty clear who he means and what he fears, but taken out of context, this could be about anybody. What a strange person, who would write such a thing in public. Thank you for this thought-provoking image, my friend. I'm glad you decided to post it.
flavia49
impressive image!!!
sandra46
you do a very important statement with this image!, great work!
yons
True! And so do those that go around writing such rubbish.