About the topic of being gay in Alabama. I feel people’s misconception of the South, particularly Alabama, is that everyone here is behind the times and ignorant. While this stereotype is true for some, it is not true for most. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that I have not had my moments where I have heard slurs thrown around in my direction, but I have also heard them when visiting NYC.

The people here in Alabama are, simply put, hard working people. I feel this is where this stereotype plays in. People work hard to provide for their families here so they don’t care too much for material as much as the substance of a person, their family and quite frankly, their college football team. In order to address the problem, one must take a look at the people.

Residents here do not necessarily take the time to observe the latest trends and the latest issues that used to be taboo. This is not a bad thing. I see it as ideas transferring from older generations to younger. It is kind of like a liberal/conservative parent expressing their views to their children and the children take on the ideals of their parents.

I am starting to see a different trend arise from my generation though. They may take on these ideas of previous generations, but they are also not afraid to challenge what they have been taught. For instance, one of my best friends from college loves me and accepts my being gay, but she does not agree with homosexuality or the homosexuality of others. Who am I to blame her for her beliefs when honestly, that would be hypocritical of me. For me not to accept her views would be like me getting mad at her for not agreeing with mine. A sense of understanding is starting to take shape here in the South, particularly Alabama, with college aged people.

Alabama has it’s fair share of different type of gay men and women. I grew up playing baseball for 8 years. When I got to high school, I was in the band and I also cheered for an All-Star squad. I recieved my B.A. in Communications with a concentration in advertising. I paint and I also make jewelry. I absolutely love Alabama football (Roll Tide) and want to see SEC teams win over non-SEC teams. I drink beer and do not like wine. I like the theatre and I danced for two years in college. I think you catch my drift.

As far as Cohen’s films are concerned, I dislike them tremendously. He provokes these people too far while being disrespectful to them first. In no way do I feel that getting back at someone is validated because they started it, but we all know that it does happen. I am speaking of Borat because I can’t bring myself to see Bruno. I have watched the clip of him at The University of Alabama’s game. I am offended by the comments of the fans, but I am also offended by him.

I don’t know why he feels that Alabama is the harbor or hate. I have seen it happen here but then again, I have also been recieved and welcomed by so many people who know me for who I am and love me regardless. I feel that in order for this situation to get better, the issues need to be addressed in a different manner than Cohen has tried to address them. It is a serious topic that does not need to be turned into comedy. That is how I feel those who are bigots find it okay to continue with those actions.

But in regards to these stereotypes I think it’s less about thinking that EVERYONE who lives in Alabama is an unsophisticated racist and more about how much the unsophisticated racists that live in Alabama (as much of a minority as they may or may not be) can affect one’s lifestyle there. This is just from my outsider’s perspective so feel free to correct. But the way I see it Alabama’s population is so much smaller than a lot of the places I’m used to going and hearing about so even if they have the same amount of racists as other states I think their actions would stand out more and I also feel like they’d get away with things more easily. So while most people in Alabama aren’t racist, those that are can go about with their agenda with little or no reparcussions as long as they stay out of everyone’s way. That’s just how I view most of the southern states as far as racism goes.

But with the media I really couldn’t give you a specific area from which my stereotypes about Alabama evolved. They’re everywhere! Maybe the typical “Ah’m from Aylahbayma’ sounded a lot more catchy than the other go-to states for that kind of comedy and so people just kept using it till it became synonymous with intolerance.

I’ll end my ramblings with a little piece from Kanye West’s New Work Out Plan:

My name is Alamae from Mobille, Alabama
and I just want to say since listenin’ to Kanye’s workout tape
I been able to date outside the family, I got a double wide
And I rode a plane.

And no, it isn’t just Americans that see the South as a cesspool of intolerance. There was a special “Top Gear” where the guys came across the pond and drove through the South, doing everything they could to incite anger and beef up the stereotypes- they got shot at, at one point, and while it was funny, the fact that 1) they had the leading to the reaction and 2) the reaction actually happened are kind of self-feeding. The stereotype they tested wouldn’t exist if people didn’t react that way, but people wouldn’t react that way if they weren’t tested. On the international level, this kind of troubles me because when people from other countries think of American “accents,” they fall back on Southern ones. So if they stereotype the South as being homophobic and bigoted, does this mean they’re stereotyping *all* of the United States in this way when they pick up a drawl, too?

Anyhoo, I think it all has a deep historical basis, going back to colonial times. It’s more easily understood in the context of the Civil War because the lines were literally drawn, but the cultural, social, and economic differences between the North and the South have been going on for ages; and the eye of history makes the South look like it’s always at least a little behind. A pop culture example is in the John Adams book/miniseries (HIIIIIGHLY recommend both). The Adamses, a Northern family, were VERY uncomfortable with how the White House had been built by slaves, but it was totally okay with the Washingtons, a Southern family. So I guess what I’m saying is that since “historically” the South has had it “wrong,” it becomes the butt of many jokes about progressiveness and the scapegoat when there is a desire to cite bigotry or violence in America today. Is this fair? Most likely no, especially since even saying “the South” itself sort of undermines any diversity (even if it’s limited); but the English language, at least, doesn’t really have the words necessary to avoid speaking in broad terms without adding tons of extra modifiers and such to statements. To play Devil’s Advocate a little, every region in the U.S. gets stereotyped. But to counter that, I don’t think there’s any denying how the labels and presumptions about the South are the most negative.