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Yale's Conspiracy of Silence
Twelve years after Yale rejected a $7 million endowment for a gay student center, the school's Gay and Lesbian Association invited legendary playwright and gay-rights activist Larry Kramer back to campus to receive its first Lifetime Achievement Award. The following is his speech.
I have come here to apologize to you.
It took a long time for Yale to accept Kramer money. After a number of years of trying to get Yale to accept mine for gay professorships or to let me raise funds for a gay student center, (both offers declined), my extraordinary straight brother Arthur offered Yale $1 million to set up the Larry Kramer Initiative for Lesbian and Gay Studies and Yale accepted it. My good friend and a member of the Yale Corporation, Calvin Trillin, managed to convince President Levin that I was a pussycat. The year was 2001.
Five years later, in 2006, Yale closed down LKI, as it had come to be called. Yale removed its director, Jonathan David Katz. All references to LKI were expunged from Web sites and answering machines and directories and syllabuses. One day LKI was just no longer here.
When this happened I thought my heart would break.
I wanted gay history to be taught. I wanted gay history to be about who we are, and who we were, by name, and from the beginning of our history, which is the same as the beginning of everyone else’s history.
By chance, just as we opened for business, Jonathan Ned Katz, our first visiting scholar, and Jonathan David Katz discovered that John William Sterling, Yale’s first really major benefactor, who died in 1918, had been gay and lived with one man only, James O. Bloss, all their adult lives. We released this information to the world, with great pride and excitement. What a way to launch ourselves! In no time flat I received a phone call from a classmate who is a partner in Shearman & Sterling, the giant law firm John Sterling founded, telling me that this information had not gone down well there and indicating that Yale would hear about it.
Jonathan David Katz, who is an art historian, put on an exhibition of the relationship of Robert Rauschenberg and his gay lover and how it affected his art. This, too, did not sit well. Jonathan David Katz’s courses were taken away from him. He was told he could no longer teach.
A book of great historical importance was published in 2005. It is called The Intimate World of Abraham Lincoln, by the distinguished gay member of the Kinsey Institute, Dr. C. A. Tripp. It maintains that Lincoln was gay. I had a great deal to do with its publication. I had offered it to Yale. Yale wanted nothing to do with it.
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Here, here. Grow up, Yale!
Go read Chauncey's book, Gay New York.
Content aside, is the date at the top correct? Was the speech given today? Then it would make it April 24, not April 25.
Elihu and Eve, not Elihu and Steve!
I think you mean Bayard Rustin, not Bayard Ruskin. What do you mean assassinated? How about death from a ruptured appendix?
Larry, A couple of thoughts struck me as I read your heart felt article. First: There appears to be an inherent divisiveness in any struggle for acceptance ("he was one of us") which is ironic but completely understandable. Pride is a necessary step in the struggle for members of a group. The contributions of members of the group over time (History) is a way to develope that Pride, but it is only a step on the path. ML King had it right when he said that we should judge a man by the content of his character not the color of his skin. This can be easily expanded to a variety of minority situations (sex, orientation, race etc). Second: The Q word = the N word? It can be used by those within the group but not by someone outside the group regardless of context?
Lastly, I take your apology to be rhetorical since I do not see that you have anything to apologize for, perhaps Yale, but not you.
Heartfelt speech. I suppose YALE can accept/decline donations from whomever they choose but as a teaching/learning institute they can go straight to....
This comment has been removed by The Daily Beast's editors.
As a recent college graduate who is gay, knowing the history of the gay and lesbian liberation/civil rights movement is critical to our political movement and culture. My university started a small LGBT studies program within its' Women Studies department when I was a sophomore.
Yale's rejection of these endowments and removal of professors is shameful. However, Kramer's claims against LGBT studies, Queer theory, and even deconstructionism are misplaced. These claims sound like a man who is upset that post-modernism exists, that the LGBT movement has moved past pride, and that there are people that challenge his simplified view sexual identities and orientations in history.
The various queer and gender theories I came to quickly realize as relatively useless for a people looking to learn about our real history drowned us out completely. Yet, gay history courses will only reveals a portion of our knowledge of gay and lesbian life in society.I want a holistic view of what it means to be gay in our society. I want classes on politics, literature, psychology, sociology, anthropology, and history of LGBT people.
Finally, if you want the world to know about the accomplishments of gays and lesbians, a gay themed history course alone probably will not help, because in the end you will only be preaching to the choir of those already interested (mostly gay and lesbian students). One has to add our history to the text books and syllabi of courses not directly associated with gay themes to reach a truly wider audience.
I couldn't agree more.
I find it interesting that Kramer, a champion of the GBLT historical school of thought, acknowledges how queer the interpretations are...
"My American Heritage unabridged dictionary lists two definitions for homosexuality: the first: "sexual orientation to persons of the same sex; and the second: "sexual activity with another of the same sex." In other words, it is not necessary, nor should it be, to have had sex with another of the same sex, to maintain that a person is homosexual."
This strikes me as an odd point for one who argues for a clear cut, black and white method of study, and against an exploration of the grey areas, to make.
I was another Yale student who felt betrayed by the divisive factions of Yale's WGSS program. The best professor I had while at Yale, a man who taught from the Queer Theory approach, was not offered tenure despite an outpouring of support from the students.
My question for Mr. Kramer would be this:
You acknowledge that Yale has come a long way in terms of GBLT support since your personal struggles in the 50s. Why can't you accept that the recent queer theory classes and programs have helped US to accept and understand ourselves in these modern times?
I can understand your desire to protect the path of study that you believe to be of tantamount importance. I just don't see the need for a contentious view of these various approaches for studying what is virtually the same subject.
How do you define 'pride? You haven't mentioned the desperate need to teach our young that it is silly, needless, hurtful to believe the harshness society dumps on us causing us needless pain, and in some cases suicide.
In short, Pride means to me, never be ashamed of who you are.
Really? I mean....really? The 'facts' he discusses in his book? That so many major historical figures in American history were secretly gay and some of their most famous actions were driven purely by their homosexuality? I don't know if I buy that. Some of that may be true, possibly, but all of that together just seems a little....contrived, put together more for it's shock-value than anything else. Anyone else know more about this?
atwork,
Your comment reminded me of a book I read in grad school. John Boswell (who taught at Yale and died of AIDS-related complications in 1994) was one of the first gay historians to write about homosexuality. I have an old copy of his first work, "Christianity, Homosexuality, and Social Tolerance," that has the subject heading of "Social History" (as opposed to the reprints which are marked "Gay/Lesbian History"). My personal opinion of the text is that it tries to weave an entire tapestry out of a few threads. Boswell was so desperate (again, in my opinion) to prove that early medieval Christianity was completely tolerant of homosexuality that he makes several blind leaps of logic based on flimsy evidence. From what I can tell, this was much the same critique leveled at Tripp's book (which I haven't read).
I have to take exception to Mr Kramer and the gay community in general always outing famous names...with what often turns out to be...upon serious examination...spurious or downright far fetched evidence. Maybe it makes them feel vindicated or better by association but... too often I think it only hurts the gay community. There are too many "whack jobs" out there (and Mr. Kramer may be one) who are willing to out anyone on any evidence. Besides... many "straight" people have experimented once or twice. That doesn't make them members of the "gay community"
I hate to say this Larry, but I don't think Yale didn't accept your money becaus eyou were Gay but because your "theories" are outlandish to the point of rediculousness. I've heard your rant about Lincoln before as well as supposedly having "evidence" of Lincoln's Homosexuality, yet for some reaosn you won't release this for independant review...huh...funny how that works?
No one questions Queer History or Queer Studies, but people would howl if universities taught Nigger History or Nigger Studies. There is no difference, both are demeaning, derogatory, hate filled terms.
There is a preponderance of evidence to suggest many of our leaders and founding fathers were gay or bisexual. Lincoln clearly is a man tormented by his personal demeans, married to a woman tormented by demons of her own. Universities shy away from this because to acknowledge it would suggest we were not founded by White Baptist heterosexuals, which the GOP loves to tell us, but by a diversity of men with diverse sexual tastes and appetites.
I share your frustration. How can we ever get to the truth, not just about homosexuality, but about sexuality in general if we continue to pretend that what we believe should take precedence over what we know? The Earth is not flat and gay men are not queer - neither are they rare.
cowboylove --
You've just hit on why I consider the "gay history" movement (and for that matter, any of the myriad "minority history" movements) somewhat suspect.
You wrote, "Universities shy away from this because to acknowledge it would suggest we were not founded by White Baptist heterosexuals, which the GOP loves to tell us, but by a diversity of men with diverse sexual tastes and appetites."
Ignoring for the moment your belief that academia is a haven for the GOP (something which I'm sure would surprise the GOP), might not your claims be similarly motivated by political/social passions? Am I suddenly an anti-gay bigot because I question the "preponderance of evidence" presented by historians who patently have an axe to grind (see my post above on John Boswell)? Where can I see the "preponderance of evidence" that you mention? How much of "gay history" is actual fact and how much is just wishful thinking and political posturing?
One has to expect a certain degree of bias in any kind of historical writing, but in the end, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Given that we know so little about Lincoln (who never left us a private journal or other personal record), can we really judge with any degree of certainty something so personal about him?
Viva CUNY CLAGS!!
http://web.gc.cuny.edu/clags/about.shtml
Larry,
I am the one who needs to apologize to you, the crazy liberal who actually stood up and faced the government and hatred during those turbulent times of the late 70's and 80's. I was just starting to come out and was too young to truly understand the impact of AIDS and what impact it would have on my life. I was ignorant and thought you just a radical, crazy, extremist. Too crazy to represent me.
Now over time I have truly come to appreciate you for all you represent and have stood for. If someone else had had the gumption to stand up and say that they were gay or (queer) when I was young, (Rock Hudson, Elton John, Freddy Mercury,...) perhaps I wouldn't have had so many doubts and fears about who and what I was growing up.
These courses are a great way to reach out to confused young people and all people in general . I am surprised that you would insist that Yale do this program when you continually met with such resistence. Maybe the answer is to take your million and go to another more friendly educational institution even though you are a graduate from there and I'm sure one of the most controversial. (Was Roy Cohen an Yale Grad?) You can't shove "gay" down peoples throats, I thought you learned that long ago. I'm happy you're still here and that I have the opportunity to acknowledge you for all you have done.
It is within our own community that we still have a long way to go; your book FAGGOTS could have been written yesterday. Thank you for everything and keep up the wonderful work
My partner and I listened very intently to all that was said by the many wonderful speakers of this fabulous weekend, which there were many, including the speakers at the dinner. A common message seemed too emerged, which was the need to build an archive of the LGBT history as quickly and as in-depth as possible for future generations. It appeared that Yale was doing so with a sense of urgency with pleads to students and alumni to contribute that which was relevant to document the LGBT movement. In addition to this need to build an archive on the LGBT community, my partner and I became more informed to the need to teach others, especially those in education, an awareness of what the young still go through coming out and to protect the ones who might be labeled queer for just being different, thus forming the new now more inclusive LGBTQ. We felt that what Larry Kramer had to say was sorry for taking so long and scolding Yale for not getting it sooner.
Unfortunately, The Daily Beast doesn't present Larry's speech in the context of what else was said that evening. His comments discounting the value of queer studies and and even the word "queer" itself was especially antagonistic after the keynote delivered by Dr. Eliza Byard, Executive Director of GLSEN. I had the pleasure of attending the GALA dinner that evening, and I posted a few comments about it on my blog.
Is this post a parody ghost written by Christopher Buckley?
Larry, please. You are in danger of squandering what remains to you of the "street cred" you earned when you were the prophet in the wilderness of the AIDS epidemic. History needs a context, a subject, and a scope, and apart from the numerous limitations of your viewpoint, a "gay history" about how gay lovers do (or don't) inspire the "genius" of their gay male lover "bubbes," you need to understand why you are beginning to look ridiculous, even to the people who support some of your contentions. You overstate the problems with gender/queer theory, while your vision of history suggests you are in need of a crash course in historical methodologies. Finally, if you want to do something with your money to truly support the cause of "our" history, I have a suggestion: send a fat check to Joan Nestle at the Lesbian Herstory Archive.
I am fairly certain that Harvard would have been a better choice. Love you,Larry.
Michael
I give workshops on dating and relationships in the LGBT community throughout the US ( including Princeton, Penn State, NYU and other campuses). I have never been able to contact anyone at Yale to talk about doing a presentation.It's impossible to find out who is in charge of anything-it's like trying to reach the Vatican. It feels surreal--like one big closeted institution. Jim Sullivan
I think it's great that Kramer is speaking out about the awful term "queer." "Queer" is hate speech. We can't "re-claim" it because it was never ours.
Thank you.
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