Re: coming out

[K Bacon <s340090@student.uq.edu.au>]

At 16:26 26/10/97 -0600, you wrote:
>  Hi, My $.002.  "Coming out" when used in the sexual sense is a 'catch
>phrase'.  KaTe, to my ear, doesn't use catch phrases, except with extreme
>irony.  Neither, I think, would she make any point on a single usage, out
>of context.  As Cloudbusting had no other hints, etc on sexuality, I think
>"coming out of the closet" is a bit of a stretch of assumptions. 
> That 'coming out' possibility feels like a null set.  YMMV

I accept the fact that it's your "$0.02" worth, but I am getting sick of
having to type the same message repeatedly to to one person after another,
when it seems they don't bother reading any of the previously typed emails.  
ONCE AND FOR ALL...I (and most of the others, I *assume*, who prefer a gay
interpretation) are NOT saying that Kate herself intended 'coming out' in
the sense of a person 'coming out' as gay or lesbian.  I've made this clear
a number of times before.  
SECONDLY...if I personally wish to interpret it as 'coming out' as gay, then
that's my choice, and I certainly have the freedom to see it as that.  I
can't say for certain, but I will *assume* that Kate is happy knowing that a
song of hers means different things to different people - I'm sure (that's
right folks, another *assumption*!) that Kate would be horrified knowing
that millions of fans felt exactly the same way about Cloudbusting as she
does.  
LASTLY...to you Kerry, I really don't care if you think that a gay
interpretation is 'a bit of a stretch of assumptions'.  I know many people
who - before even discussing this with others - interpreted Cloudbusting as
a reference to gay people 'coming out'.  If YOU didn't Kerry, then I accept
that, but don't tell me (and others) that there is no possibility of a gay
interpretation - that is for every single individual to decide what they
feel about Cloudbusting.  I feel that it is very heavily centered on 'coming
out' as gay - there are in fact many indirect references that *I* picked up,
which obviously you didn't, and I don't mind that you didn't - just don't
make a sweeping judgement in which you dictate to us what you think is
reasonable, and what is a 'stretch of assumptions'.  
        I simply believe that a gay interpretation is but one
interpretation, and just as valid as any other interpretation.  It is not my
belief that it is the 'correct' interpretation, because I don't believe
there is any 'correct' interpretation.  Even's Kate's views - they might be
the basis and original meaning, but that doesn't make them 'correct'.  AS
KATE HAS SAID...a song has a life of it's own, therefore, there will never
be a 'correct' interpretation.  
        I just find it incredible the amount of debate we've had over this
particular interpretation.  *I* am always curious to see what others
feel/think about a song (or whatever), but I don't feel some sort of need to
then inform people afterwards that their opinion is just an 'assumption', or
'a bit of a stretch', or unreasonable.  I may disagree with people, but
especially in the case of music, I *expect* that we will differ on
interpretations - that's life!!  
        Why some emailers here feel they have to go out of their way to
ridicule or 'disprove', or describe the 'unreasonableness' of my (and
others') interpretation instead of just letting me (and others) enjoy the
song how we want is beyond me...of course the fact that some people have
*only ever* gone out of their way in *this case* to disprove a *gay*
interpretation would have *NOTHING* to do with homophobia, would it guys :)

[of course, if you (refering to a couple of people on this list...) had read
and understood Squidly's email of October 7, then there would have been no
need for these few weeks of squabbling]

Oh well, hoping this is drawing to a close, and waiting for someone else on
this email list to send in an interpretation *they* have about another Kate
Bush song :)
Kim
(and yes, I'm also assuming my name *grin* :)) )