Speak Your Mind . . . Reno

Yesterday was my birthday. I have annually taken that day to be completely selfish and spend the time isolated from family and friends to reflect up on the past year and plan what I want to do over the next year.

I have recently been reading a book by Michael Kimmel called The Gendered Society. It is a great book that looks at gender and sex in our society. Its thesis is antithetic to our socialization that the difference between the genders and sexes is immense. In fact, from what I have read and know, Kimmel's statement that there are larger differences AMONGST men and women is GREATER than BETWEEN men and women is right on.

Anyhow, for my birthday, I decided to spend the afternoon (1:30 to 8 PM) at Wingfield Park at a (mostly) local hip-hop show called Speak Your Mind. It was really nice to sit, listen to some good music, and read.

I had my face noticeably buried in Kimmel's book for a good portion of the show.

I was REALLY enjoying myself reading about men and women, how people are taught to send different messages, what it means to be male and female, etc. because I was in an area where there were people of all ages, races, ethnicities, classes, and sexual orientations. It was as if the book was highlighting and putting a good deal of meaning to all that I was experiencing.

I write that I noticeably had my face buried in the book because a person who was sitting in front of me, noticed, and when I was taking a break, asked me about it.

After looking it over, my new friend, whose name is Angel, looked it over and wanted all of the information! Angel and I discussed why we were both interested in the issues (e.g., gender and family, biology of the sexes) and I ended up giving the book away!

Angel and I further talked about Reno, the "cowboy" mentality, lack of cultural diversity, conservatism, etc. I have recently been struggling with the fact that I am one of a handful of people of color in my program, I have no gay friends here in Reno, and nearly of the people I associate with are white middle-class NPR acolytes.

So, to say the least, Angel was as prophetic as the name. Angel is an older black gay woman who shared similar experience when moving from San Fransisco to Reno decades ago.

Angel and I talked and tentatively made plans to see "her Reno," as she put it, which would liberate me of living in my mono'culture' (it is by mo means that I do not like my current community, it is just that there is much more cultural diversity that I have historically experienced and long for).

I really look forward to spending time with her and getting to know the more of the community that I feel has been missing during my two-year stay in Reno.

Much love Angel!!!