Place at the Table: The Gay Individual in American Society

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Place at the Table: The Gay Individual in American Society (eBook) Pub. Date: 6/30/2008 Publisher: Simon & Schuster
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Place at the Table: The Gay Individual in American Society (Reprint) Pub. Date: 10/1/1994 Publisher: Simon & Schuster
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Place at the Table: The Gay Individual in American Society Pub. Date: 10/5/1993 Publisher: Simon & Schuster

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Overview

Bruce Bawer exposes the heated controversy over gay rights and presents a passionate plea for the recognition of common values, "a place at the table" for everyone.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

Conservative cultural critic Bawer's canny appraisal of the gay rights movement calls for a more equitable place in American society for lesbians and gays. (Oct.)

Library Journal

Positing that negative stereotypes of homosexuals are the result of both right - wing propaganda and the high visibility of ``radical gay activists,'' Bawer, a self-proclaimed spokesperson for the ``silent majority of gays,'' attempts to absolve ``mainstream gays'' of responsibility by criticizing ``subculture-oriented gays,'' including but not limited to Donna Minkowitz, Paul Monette, Edmund White, members of ACTUP, and those involved in Gay Pride parades. This heartfelt if misguided meditation cum manifesto is provocative, but the author's self-righteous generalizations and misrepresentation of the ethnic, socio economic, and geographic diversity of American lesbians and gays, as well as the lack of either an index or citations for the many sources, undermine the divisive diatribe.-- James E. Van Buskirk, San Francisco P.L.

More Reviews (2) Fewer Reviews

Kirkus Reviews

Bawer brings to the volatile public discussion of homosexuality the same moral reasoning and civilized demeanor evident in his cultural criticism (The Aspect of Eternity, p. 632). This passionate, persuasive book should be the starting point for all future debate. What separates Bawer's honest and accessible argument from other polemics on homosexuality—aside from its moral perspective—is its audience. Bawer treats the opposition with respect while never compromising his goal: the triumph of "reason over irrationality, acceptance over estrangement [and] love over loathing." He premises his work on the reasonable assumption that there's a vast disparity between the gay subculture and the reality of most gay life in America. The public debate has been shaped by highly vocal denizens of the urban gay ghettos, a group that has portrayed itself as sex-obsessed, irresponsible, and politically beyond the pale. Meanwhile, the conservative opposition too often frames its position in response to the subcultural stereotypes. That's no excuse, though, for right-wing homophobia and its buzzwords ("choice," "recruit," "advocate," "abnormal," "lifestyle," etc.), each of which Bawer eloquently addresses. Bawer's defense of the "silent majority" of gays is based in his own Christian faith and conservative values. He brilliantly exposes the social policy of denying domestic partnership rights as complicit with the sexually permissive underground of bathhouses and porno theaters. Moreover, not only does he address Bible-based anti-gay attitudes, but he defuses the anti-family posturing of both the gay radicals and their right-wing counterparts. At his best, Bawer depoliticizes a subjectovercharged with rhetoric, reminding us that there's really no reason for shock value. To call Bawer's subtle narrative "centrist" misses its truly post- ideological significance. Bawer artfully weaves autobiography into his eloquent defense of the common sense that exists somewhere between closeted denial and outrageous activism. This could be the crossover book many have been waiting for—plain and sane talk about a complex issue.

From Barnes & Noble

In this provocative book, a cultural critic strips away the misconceptions that underlie homophobia as he scrutinizes the extreme gay subculture that misrepresents gay life and undermines its goals. In his passionate plea for a recognition of common values, Bawer defines the moral predicament of the gay individual in today's world.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780671894399
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication date: 10/1/1994
Edition description: Reprint
Pages: 272
Sales rank: 537,877
Product dimensions: 5.58 (w) x 8.46 (h) x 0.66 (d)

	Author's Note	13
1	"A sea of homosexuals"	17
2	"Don't you think homosexuality is wrong?"	71
3	"Everything I do is gay"	153
4	"The only valid foundation"	224

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 5

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Anonymous

Posted May 4, 2004

Simply the truth

I am so glad that Bawer wrote this awesome book. I read it twice and I will buy my own copy. He speaks the truth in that book and I came to understand that being gay is not about circuit parties, crusing in bars, dressing in drag or being 'camp'. Much less not to get married and live a frustrating double life. Bawer is the best role model there is for every gay man in the world. A positive, God-fearing guy who strips away the lies of bigots for the truth of what it really means to be a gay man. Very outstanding.
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Anonymous

Posted March 8, 2001

This is so beautifully written I'd read it whatever the subject

. . . but the subject is vital and compelling. Finally the clouds have parted to the extent that gay Americans aren't forced onto the defensive ALL the time. We can start to think of ourselves not as a victimized horde but instead as a gathering of individuals, each of us after his/her share of the American dream. It turns out that what we want is pretty much what most of mainstream America wants: security, productive careers, love, commitment, honor, family (though maybe not the nuclear kind). In Bawer's opinion, the gay community often goes about addressing these needs in just the wrong ways, using yesterday's inflammatory rhetoric to meet today's realities. Reading Bawer is a delight of rich, evocative prose; in fact, he's one of the best contemporary stylists around. Even though it came out in 1994, like 'don't ask don't tell' the tensions this book deals with are still very much with us. The irony of 'A Place at the Table' is that it will preach to the converted. Read it, and then please, please get your straight friends and family to read it too. This book is not intended to be, nor can it survive as, mere ghetto literature.
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Anonymous

Posted March 10, 2001

Compelling, Vital and Real

This is a tremendous book, and written for all of society, making as it does more than just a superficial gay-pride-day cheer. It's beautifully written and straight folks ought to read it, too.
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Anonymous

Posted August 7, 2000

dcam92103

This book was awesome and real. I found a lot of truth in it about being gay and not really caring about the bars, circuit parties, and the people in them. I got to read this book 5 yrs after its first publication. I liked it very much. It was nice to hear from another gay guy who is out but who doesn't feel the need to cross dress or wear black leather. I related to it. I nodded in agreement many times while reading the book.
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Anonymous

Posted January 20, 2000

Defining Homosexuality outside the Steriotype

An introspective look into the world of homosexuality as an average, everyday american. As you see the flaiming homosexuals on TV, the cross-dressers on springer, and the 'newsworthy' transvestites that parade around under the rainbow flag of 'gay', there is a majority that dress in suits, shirts and coats, and walk, unnoticed under many other flags, while still not being 'in the closet'. This is a book that gives a glimpse for heterosexuals into a gay world, as well as an alternate path for recently-discovered gays to follow, between the paths of 'conservative, closeted'; and 'outspoken, flamboyant' that is so often percieved.
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Posted December 18, 2010

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