Michelangelo Signorile's Queer Manifesto from 1993

[Mogul]

What I find striking about Signorile's manifesto is it's unrelenting insistence in calling "the closet" a policy of oppression imposed by straight society. "There is no 'right' to the closet," he says. The closeted in positions of power are "cowering, sad, self-loathing" homosexuals who "have no 'right' to be" in the closet.

Although Signorile does not at any point counsel the deliberate "outing" of prominent people, nothing in his manifesto argues against doing so. It seems clear from his words that concealing one's sexual orientation is not a matter of personal privacy.

I slightly disagree in the interpretation of the text. For me it seems more like a moral appeal to the individuals in question to re-think their position and become responsible representatives of their kind. Which in itself is of an immense value in the decades of "ethical pluralism", when many people believe that any "moral" is obsolet and the only orientation in life is the immediate personal profit. From this point of view, Signorile's manifesto is very distinctive from other contributions - he clearly claims the right of society to demand from it's members certain degree of integrity. However, it stays unclear how society shall punish those who violate their obligations.

[K6]

What I find striking about Signorile's manifesto is it's unrelenting insistence in calling "the closet" a policy of oppression imposed by straight society. "There is no 'right' to the closet," he says. The closeted in positions of power are "cowering, sad, self-loathing" homosexuals who "have no 'right' to be" in the closet.

Although Signorile does not at any point counsel the deliberate "outing" of prominent people, nothing in his manifesto argues against doing so. It seems clear from his words that concealing one's sexual orientation is not a matter of personal privacy.

Once a conflict is in progress over a difference in sexual orientation,sexual orientation is no longer a private matter but a political one.Even without
a conflict,sexual orientation would still have demographic consequences,and would therefore still be political.

K6

[Feral]

What I find striking about Signorile's manifesto is it's unrelenting insistence in calling "the closet" a policy of oppression imposed by straight society. "There is no 'right' to the closet," he says. The closeted in positions of power are "cowering, sad, self-loathing" homosexuals who "have no 'right' to be" in the closet.

Although Signorile does not at any point counsel the deliberate "outing" of prominent people, nothing in his manifesto argues against doing so. It seems clear from his words that concealing one's sexual orientation is not a matter of personal privacy.

[Mogul]

An excellent text - clear, distinct and whole of positive energy. An encouraging pleadge for social responsibility instead of falsely understood "tolerance" against destructive behavior and indifference.

[Feral]

Michelangelo Signorile's Queer Manifesto

To All Queers:


There is no "right" to the closet. If you are in it, it is not by your choice. You were forced into it as a child, and you are being held captive by a hypocritical, homophobic society. Now is the time to plan your escape. The power to do so is inside of you, and only you can unleash it. Stop sitting around blaming your parents, your school, the government, the media. Stop whining about your existence and wallowing in self-pity. Stop wishing yourself dead. If you are already out of the closet, it is your obligation to help all those who are still being held prisoner. If you are not yet out of the closet -- if you are a teenager dependent on your parents, if you are trapped in a homophobic town or a rough city neighborhood where they beat up queers, if you are in any way in danger -- hold on and plan for the day when you are older, when you have saved some money, when you can leave that place, when you can stand up on your own two feet and take charge of your life. No one can keep you where you are -- except yourself.

There is more.