Why is Oscar Wilde not utilised as a gay icon for gay pride?

Azure_sky

I always wondered about this. I'm not really into the gay pride marches myself but I noticed the likes of Panti etc tend to be used as pro gay icons. Now nothing against Panti but I find it strange how one of the most cerebral people who ever lived was gay, Irish and persecuted under sodomy laws by British conservatives. I'm referring to Oscar Wilde of course. Why is he not used as a pro gay symbol more often? I honestly can't understand this.

mikemac

Married man with two children who dealt with prostitutes and younger lovers.
Gay or not, that's not behavior to make someone an icon.

He started the legal proceedings, bringing a libel case against his accuser. He lost and only then was he prosecuted, all the evidence was out in the open. It's not realy persecuted, if you're going to start legal proceedings, expect retaliation.

His wife and children left struggling while he was in jail.

Morag

Yes given that he is easily the most famous Irish bisexual it is strange but I guess that there are many who would not consider him a good role model.

ztoical

isn't he the main image used for the Dublin Gay Theatre featival?

Aard

"Oscar Who?"


(That's the answer most Average Joes would give.)

Azure_sky

feelingstressed wrote: »

Married man with two children who dealt with prostitutes and younger lovers.
Gay or not, that's not behavior to make someone an icon.

He started the legal proceedings, bringing a libel case against his accuser. He lost and only then was he prosecuted, all the evidence was out in the open. It's not realy persecuted, if you're going to start legal proceedings, expect retaliation.

His wife and children left struggling while he was in jail.

Yeah but from what I gather most people seem to look over the dodgy aspects of his life anyway. I always wondered why he did that against his prosecutors. It kind of reeks of narcissism or bi polar at least.

Sharrow wrote: »

Yes given that he is easily the most famous Irish bisexual it is strange but I guess that there are many who would not consider him a good role model.

Do most people consider him bi-sexual? I always considered him primarily gay and his marriage one based on social protocol. I guess we'll never know for sure.

Aard wrote: »

"Oscar Who?"


(That's the answer most Average Joes would give.)

Sadly I wouldn't be too surprised if that were true.

Morag

His love letters to his wife were published recently and he wrote her poems.
They were married had two children and she never did divorce him despite having grounds.
Back then there was no such thing as bisexual, once a man had sex with another man that was it he was considered homosexual. Such attitudes still exist today.

I honestly do not thing she was beard and she wasn't the first woman he perused.

diddlybit

Sharrow wrote: »

Back then there was no such thing as bisexual, once a man had sex with another man that was it he was considered homosexual.

Previous to the trial of Oscar Wilde there was no such thing as homosexuality, there was only the act of sodomy (apart from some early German sexologists that had begun to explore same-sex attracion.) One's sexual behavior were not elements of an sexual identity, but just actions. The term existed, but the notion of hetreosexuality as oppositional to heterosexuality did not enter the public conciousness until much later.

The argument over whether he was bisexual or homosexuality is a great debate though, that hasn't recieved a lot of attention.

St._Andalou

Azure_sky wrote: »

I always wondered about this. I'm not really into the gay pride marches myself but I noticed the likes of Panti etc tend to be used as pro gay icons. Now nothing against Panti but I find it strange how one of the most cerebral people who ever lived was gay, Irish and persecuted under sodomy laws by British conservatives. I'm referring to Oscar Wilde of course. Why is he not used as a pro gay symbol more often? I honestly can't understand this.

Probably because he wasn't overtly political in his lifetime; he was made into a political icon by circumstance rather than choice. (That is not a criticism, either -- it's just the age in which he was born.)

I mean, Shakespeare was bisexual, but gay rights groups in the U.K. don't use him as a symbol.

Louisevb

I think that there are present day icons who could be used to much better effect with respect to Oscar Wilde in promoting the LGB community within the wider population, and also within the LGBT sector. Pride has had Sen David Norris as Grand Marshall who I hope becomes our next President, and also Ailbhe Smyth who has worked tirelessly on lesbian issues, followed by transgender woman Dr. Lydia Foy...Perhaps this year we need to honour Rory O'Neil for all the hard work that Panti has done over the years. I'd be delighted if this is the case.

Azure_sky

Louisevb wrote: »

I think that there are present day icons who could be used to much better effect with respect to Oscar Wilde in promoting the LGB community within the wider population, and also within the LGBT sector. Pride has had Sen David Norris as Grand Marshall who I hope becomes our next President, and also Ailbhe Smyth who has worked tirelessly on lesbian issues, followed by transgender woman Dr. Lydia Foy...Perhaps this year we need to honour Rory O'Neil for all the hard work that Panti has done over the years. I'd be delighted if this is the case.

Rory O' Neill has done more work for LGBT people than Dr' Lydia Foy? How so?

Louisevb

Azure_sky wrote: »

Rory O' Neill has done more work for LGBT people than Dr' Lydia Foy? How so?

Lydia Foy has worked on her own to further transgender rights, which has been a lonely path, with only legal support.
Rory O'Neil has been the MC at Pride for a long number of years as well as being a very good advocate for LGB rights both on radio and in the print media as well as raising thousands of Euros for HIV/AIDs charities. If you don't know any of that you have not been in Ireland very long.

Aard

Louisevb wrote: »

...If you don't know any of that you have not been in Ireland very long.

That's a bit snide. I've been in Ireland for a while now, and I never knew that.


Tbh, I've never seen him in the media, and it's not like Aids charities are a specifically gay thing.

Azure_sky

Aard wrote: »

That's a bit snide. I've been in Ireland for a while now, and I never knew that.


Tbh, I've never seen him in the media, and it's not like Aids charities are a specifically gay thing.

Indeed, thank you Aard.

Louisevb wrote: »

If you don't know any of that you have not been in Ireland very long.

Either that or my sexuality, and what issues pertain to it, is not my sole preoccupation.