Re: Bursting the Gay Cloud (again)

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

At 19:41 10/11/97 -0600, you wrote:
>I have been lurking for awhile here, but have to come out to say that if
>you think Cloudbursting is about being gay......
>
>OH NO!!  I said "I have to come out"... therefore, I must be gay!
>NOT!!!

Obviously you have 'selective reading'...many of us have already responded
to that comment, in depth.  

>I wonder how many other songs there are in the Kate catalog that certain
>people on this list think are "special" songs.  

I personally feel that *every* Kate Bush song is special - both as
individual songs (with the original Kate Bush meaning), as well as the
personal response I feel when I experience the music.  

>Songs with "hidden meanings" that us "normal" (whatever that means), fans 
>just don't have the brains to pick up on.   

"whatever that means"?  Exactly - you nearly answered your own question -
there is *no* meaning from what you typed (unless you are trying to
marginalize people on this email list - but I'm sure that you wouldn't
possibly be trying to do that.  Of course not.  Maybe not...).  Interpreting
songs has nothing to do whether a person is "normal" or whether they "have
the brains" to do it...it's the experience of listening to music coupled
with personal experience.  

>Sorry to ramble. but this "Cloudbursting is
>about being gay" thread makes me want to puke...

Really?  Go ahead then.  When people tell me they want to puke when hearing
gay issues, I always encourage them to follow through...perhaps it would be
good for you to vomit that homophobic garbage out of your system.  Either
that, or open your mind and educate yourself.  It might be easier to puke,
but the rewards are greater when you open your mind.  

>If Kate reads this list,
>I am sure she is getting a good laugh out of this one!  

This is a total indictment against gay people, if you are indeed implying
that Kate Bush would find a gay interpretation ridiculous.  This is what is
the most upsetting on this issue - many people seem to trivialise 'coming
out' (as with every other gay issue), and it is really disturbing.  'Coming
out' is a major event for gay and lesbian (and also transgender) people -
sometimes with major consequences.  The reason I'm writing this is because I
actually saw *just YESTERDAY* a friend at university who has just been
kicked out of home, after being physically attacked by his father, for being
gay.  Yeah, really funny Mark, just hilarious.  What about the higher than
average rate of suicide for gay teenagers - who are often either unable to
'come out', or who were physically/emotionally abused by parents after they
'came out'.  Dead teenagers...are your sides still splitting with laughter?  
I feel that Kate would be proud to know that there are fans out there, who
give such an important - and personal - interpretation to Cloudbusting.  If
one fan always thinks of his/her sister (etc.) when listening to
Cloudbusting, or perhaps to starving refugees even - because they may have
seen/experienced that when they first listened to Cloudbusting - I don't
think Kate would laugh at that.  What if a Kate fan thinks of his/her *own*
father whenever they hear Cloudbusting...is that also "ridiculous"?
(Anti-'gay-interpretation' emailers must think that since they claim that
they are *not* homophobic (thus treating every interpretation 'equally')).
Gay people, issues and INTERPRETATIONS are not the be all and end all of
things, but they still deserve to be treated with the respect shown to any
other important/personal experience.  
'Coming out' is not a trivial issue, and I do not believe that it in *any*
way trivialises Cloudbusting...so I think people who are emailing about how
"ridiculous" it is, should think twice about future emails with claims of
how 'stupid' and 'ridiculous' the interpretation is.  

>But even though
>I want to puke, this whole subject has been quite entertaining!!   :)
>Mark

Unfortunately, *you* haven't been.  

Thanks (yet again) everyone for taking the time to read (and hopefully
consider too!) my email :))
Till next time,
Kim :)