Thursday, 06/21/2001

queers without money

Badgett's research shows something else. It constitutes the first true picture of queer economic reality. Among other things, Badgett found that:

• Gays, lesbians, and bisexuals do not earn more than heterosexuals, or live in more affluent households.


• Gay men earn 13 to 32 percent less than similarly qualified straight men (depending on the study).


• Though lesbians and bisexual women have incomes comparable to straight women—earning 21 percent less than men—lesbian couples earn significantly less than heterosexual ones.

But . . . try finding representations of poor or working-class gay people on Will & Grace. See how hard you have to search for media images of queers who are part of the vast working poor in this country. Find the homeless transgendered folks. Find stories of gay immigrants, lesbian moms working three jobs, bisexual truckers falling asleep from too many hours on the road, gay men in the unemployment line. Try finding an image of queer people who are balancing on the edge—or have fallen off. The myth of our wealth goes deep, so deep that even other gay people seem to believe it.

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the last ten ...

12/19/2001: vive la france

12/19/2001: princess, redux

12/19/2001: yemen and rumsfeld

12/18/2001: you're NOT in the army now

12/18/2001: interesting donation

12/18/2001: shame on winn dixie, indeed

12/18/2001: saudi princess

12/17/2001: new resolve

12/17/2001: a victim of the attack ... yeah, right

12/17/2001: polluters ho!