This course explores the ways in which objects and material culture embody personal narrative. Moving back and forth from ephemeral traces of events and experiences to the culturally invested luxury goods that create legacy to the objects that facilitate daily life, this class will use, as its primary references, examples that draw from queer and African American cultures to underscore the potential of objects to tell the stories that not only reflect majority traditions and experiences but those of the disenfranchised, the details of whose lives are often obscured. In addition to readings that will provide background for class discussion, student will be asked to play the roles of detectives, archeologists, and curators at various sites around New York City. Each student will also be asked to create an annotated material record that reveals the public and private lives of one individual. That record may consist of texts, objects or any variety of media chosen or designed by the student. This blogs serves as an archive for the work done in the context of this course and related materials that become relevant to this exploration.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

How America Learned to Love Gay Marriage

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/11154321/How-America-learned-to-love-gay-marriage.html

This article tracks the evolution of American's opinions towards homosexuality and gay marriage. It's interesting how it became accepted in the media before it was accepted in reality. While television shows like Will and Grace certainly received criticism at the time for having openly gay characters, it was still able to run for eight years and had a large following of fans. Through the media, it seems that people have been able to warm up to gay characters and public figures because they're being introduced to them as people and they are able to watch these things from a distance, relieving any pressure or discomfort they would feel first hand. Obviously, there are still issues and tensions, but it is interesting to see how mentalities towards gay rights have changed in a short span of time.
 
It's also interesting to note that this is a UK news source. In a way, it does feel as though they're trying to figure out and observe America's views on gay marriage and in ways, missing the amount of work that still needs to be done in order to achieve equality. 
 
Posted by Briana Lynch

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