peterson@tle.DEC (Bob Peterson at Spit Brook 381-2106) (10/22/85)
...cca!emacs!joe Chapman writes: >In the Boston chapter of ``States of Desire'' Edmund White relates a >conversation he had over dinner which touched on the topic of deafness: > > Why are there so many gay deaf people? One theory: their > deafness prevents them from being socialized into concealing > their sexuality and so the natural incidence of homosexuality > that would occur in any population becomes more evident. >I originally looked up this passage after reading Ray/Jason's posting on >careers; I was going to argue that we computer-gnurds are an arrogant >and talkative bunch, and so we resist being socialized into concealing >our sexuality, etc., etc. Interesting first theory, it may work. Though there are certainly problems of homophobia in deaf circles as well, when you can converse in public in an "unknown" language it makes being gay easier I suspect. There are documented signs for ``gay'', ``homosexual'', etc. I have a book devoted to signs of sexuality. It gives the signs plus a few others I had heard of. But it's best advice is to ask the person/people you are signing with what they prefer. Some areas of the country and schools, and individuals connote the signs differently, varying from obscene to wrong-idea. One deaf man I talked with preferred the letter ``g'' with the thumb and forefinger touching the chin, sometime a double motion forming a square. He regarded it as the least offensive to him but not perfect. Sounds like a familar complaint of terminology. I am not deaf so would not prefer to discuss publicly someone else's language as if I were an authority. My creditials are limited to having deaf parents and going to RIT, which is attached to the National Technical Institute of the Deaf. I have had deaf gay friends and acquaintences when I lived in Rochester and D.C. The overriding thing I've learned is to get it from the horse's mouth. Are there any deaf or hard of hearing readers who would care to contribute on the subject? I can post your message anonymously if you wish. I know RIT is on USEnet so we might get some info from that direction. Is Gallaudet College on the net? Also any comments about the Rainbow group of deaf people? \bob usenet: decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-vaxwrk!peterson /\ Arpa: peterson%vaxwrk.DEC@decwrl.ARPA