I have to admit I agree with Dennis Martin about the responses to Joe Pope's
comment on the Queer Conference. The whole debate left me with a bad taste
in my mouth. Let's hope politically incorrect opinions aren't always met
with such vitriol. I didn't agree with Joe Pope, but neither did I enjoy
his transformation into a demonized creature at the hands of other
academics. Normally this list is relatively free of such enmity, one reason
I enjoy being a member.
-- Beth Fitch
At 10:02 AM 12/2/96 -0600, you wrote:
>Many of the responses to Joe Pope's comment on the Queer Conference were
>quite incivil even as they chastised him for his opinions. Why is
>incivility permitted in this case and not in others?
>
>Several responses proposed an exegesis of certain passages from the Bible
>that would be favorable to homosexual activity. Fine, except that they
>were proposed as having achieved a consensus among scholars that they do
>not enjoy among scholars. Presenting advocacy scholarship as
>dispassionate scholarship is not scholarly. Some would argue that all
>scholarship is politicized. Fine, but then let's not claim some kind of
>consensus and authority for what is still highly controversial and
>contentious.
>
>What I do not understand is why everyone jumped on Joe Pope for
>expressing his opinion when each person who jumped on him was also
>expressing an opinion. He was criticized for hegemonic homophobia merely
>by the assertion of an equally hegemonic homophilia. At least his
>original statement was expressed in civil language, which cannot be said
>for responses like "Grow up" or wordplays on his surname.
>
>In short, many of the responses to Joe Pope were very childish.
>
>Dennis Martin
>
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|