Climbing Kilimanjaro
Country Folk Ways
The best thing about the Blues is its uncompromising attitude about love and sex, especially with respect to intra-Afro gay/lesbian affections. Remember, the people who gave birth to the Blues were Afro American folk in largely poor rural areas, most notably in the Southern United States.
Among these poor Afro American folk, there was acceptance of same-sex affection even if such affection wasn't always understood. More, these same-sex loving individuals were not given sympathy as being a "victim" within an unjust world. An individual simply existed within his family and within a larger community, the latter being sort of an "open secret" among certain folk. Any misunderstanding to be had typically occurred in the assigning of names to describe those who happened to be gay: freak, a mellow, a sissy or a drag.
Country Folk Ways
The best thing about the Blues is its uncompromising attitude about love and sex, especially with respect to intra-Afro gay/lesbian affections. Remember, the people who gave birth to the Blues were Afro American folk in largely poor rural areas, most notably in the Southern United States.
Among these poor Afro American folk, there was acceptance of same-sex affection even if such affection wasn't always understood. More, these same-sex loving individuals were not given sympathy as being a "victim" within an unjust world. An individual simply existed within his family and within a larger community, the latter being sort of an "open secret" among certain folk. Any misunderstanding to be had typically occurred in the assigning of names to describe those who happened to be gay: freak, a mellow, a sissy or a drag.