Help me name my talk!
May 23, 2022 3:44 PM Subscribe
I am giving a presentation to a colleague's high school US History class tomorrow. The class has been learning about LGBTQ+ history in the US; the talk is a personal perspective of what sorts of changes I have witnessed in the US over the last 40 years as a queer person, with a focus (requested by my colleague) on how activism has helped make these changes possible. I need a good title, however!
I am looking for a phrase to use as the first part of a colonic title in the manner of "something interesting and allusive: Personal reminiscences of the queer rights movement over the last 40 years." A song lyric (particularly from something relevant, like a song by a queer / lesbian / gay artist from the 90s) would be ideal. Bonus points if the kids might recognize it - but this is not the most crucial thing.
Topics I am going to mention: the history of GSAs in schools, the circuitous path to marriage equality, the greater inclusion of trans people (esp students in schools), and so on. Themes of the talk are: how progress has not been easy nor linear; how much we all owe to the people who came before us and who were indescribably brave in what they risked (and lost); how rapid and extensive the change has been within my lifetime; and how much our/my mental models of what being queer is have changed.
What is that cool, allusive, interesting phrase that would convey some/any of that?
(Current front runner is "Claiming Our Freedom," referencing Melissa Ferrick, to give you the vibe I am trying for.)
I am looking for a phrase to use as the first part of a colonic title in the manner of "something interesting and allusive: Personal reminiscences of the queer rights movement over the last 40 years." A song lyric (particularly from something relevant, like a song by a queer / lesbian / gay artist from the 90s) would be ideal. Bonus points if the kids might recognize it - but this is not the most crucial thing.
Topics I am going to mention: the history of GSAs in schools, the circuitous path to marriage equality, the greater inclusion of trans people (esp students in schools), and so on. Themes of the talk are: how progress has not been easy nor linear; how much we all owe to the people who came before us and who were indescribably brave in what they risked (and lost); how rapid and extensive the change has been within my lifetime; and how much our/my mental models of what being queer is have changed.
What is that cool, allusive, interesting phrase that would convey some/any of that?
(Current front runner is "Claiming Our Freedom," referencing Melissa Ferrick, to give you the vibe I am trying for.)
Queer Eye for the (Not So) Straight History?
posted by virve at 4:14 PM on May 23, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by virve at 4:14 PM on May 23, 2022 [3 favorites]
Come to My Window:
Born This Way:
Ain't No Mountain High Enough:
Mighty Real:
True Colors:
posted by carmicha at 4:20 PM on May 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
Born This Way:
Ain't No Mountain High Enough:
Mighty Real:
True Colors:
posted by carmicha at 4:20 PM on May 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
I'm Still Here is going to be lost on all but the gayest but is nonetheless my proposal :)
posted by less-of-course at 4:35 PM on May 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by less-of-course at 4:35 PM on May 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
LGBTQUSA:
Closer To Fine:
Angry Anymore:
posted by mochapickle at 4:40 PM on May 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
Closer To Fine:
Angry Anymore:
posted by mochapickle at 4:40 PM on May 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
Maybe it's too far removed for young people, but "we're not in Kansas anymore?"
Maybe something from Janelle Monáe?
"I'm not America's nightmare, I'm the American dream"
"Am I a freak? Or just another weirdo?"
posted by eotvos at 4:47 PM on May 23, 2022 [2 favorites]
Maybe something from Janelle Monáe?
"I'm not America's nightmare, I'm the American dream"
"Am I a freak? Or just another weirdo?"
posted by eotvos at 4:47 PM on May 23, 2022 [2 favorites]
Queer kids existed before Heartstopper: Personal reminiscences of the queer rights movement over the last 40 years
posted by hworth at 5:01 PM on May 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by hworth at 5:01 PM on May 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
Depending on the talk and what you plan to emphasize, there might be several lines from Under Pressure that could work.
Caring About Ourselves:
On the Edge of the Night:
Never Rains but it Pours:
Love Dares You to Care:
posted by nickmark at 5:10 PM on May 23, 2022
Caring About Ourselves:
On the Edge of the Night:
Never Rains but it Pours:
Love Dares You to Care:
posted by nickmark at 5:10 PM on May 23, 2022
Or Ani DiFranco:
The Only Whatever I Am In The Room:
posted by nickmark at 5:12 PM on May 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
The Only Whatever I Am In The Room:
posted by nickmark at 5:12 PM on May 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
from stonewall to drag race and queer eye: activism and acceptance.
posted by j_curiouser at 5:24 PM on May 23, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by j_curiouser at 5:24 PM on May 23, 2022 [4 favorites]
We're Here, We're Queer, Get Used To It.
Sorta the only song that pops into my head would be Queen's I Want to Break Free. Maybe Boy George...
posted by zengargoyle at 5:33 PM on May 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
Sorta the only song that pops into my head would be Queen's I Want to Break Free. Maybe Boy George...
posted by zengargoyle at 5:33 PM on May 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
How ‘bout a phrase from the preamble of the Constitution: “secure the Blessings of Liberty”
posted by at at 8:17 PM on May 23, 2022
posted by at at 8:17 PM on May 23, 2022
The best talk titles encapsulate either the one most important thing you want the audience to remember in a month or a year or longer after the talk, or what you want the audience to go out and do as a result of hearing the talk. It sounds like you have a captive audience, so you don’t need an overly gimmicky title to entice people to attend. “Claiming Our Freedom” sounds pretty reasonable given your description. Or something that alludes to the fact that you giving this oral history is super important because various social forces (AIDS epidemic, conservative backlashes, etc.) have been actively working to erase lgbtq history and communal memory/community in general - so something like “Claiming Our Story” or “Speaking Our Story” or “Claiming Our Roots, Creating Our Future” might also work?
‘Course, a fun song reference will likely make you happy, and there’s also a lot to be said for having a fun title just because it’s fun and makes you happy. Can you start off your talk by playing the relevant song snippet? Or end the talk with it, if it would have to be a longer snippet? (Eg. I kind of want to play the Flirtations’ (the gay men’s a cappella group) version of Khalil Gibran’s poem On Children and/ or their song Everything Possible for every young person but especially every young queer person who needs to hear affirmation that they deserve to be themselves and by happy, but I would find it hard to pick a shorter snippet of either song to just use as a title.)
posted by eviemath at 8:45 PM on May 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
‘Course, a fun song reference will likely make you happy, and there’s also a lot to be said for having a fun title just because it’s fun and makes you happy. Can you start off your talk by playing the relevant song snippet? Or end the talk with it, if it would have to be a longer snippet? (Eg. I kind of want to play the Flirtations’ (the gay men’s a cappella group) version of Khalil Gibran’s poem On Children and/ or their song Everything Possible for every young person but especially every young queer person who needs to hear affirmation that they deserve to be themselves and by happy, but I would find it hard to pick a shorter snippet of either song to just use as a title.)
posted by eviemath at 8:45 PM on May 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
(Everything Possible, On Children, Something Inside So Strong. But for the theme of your personal recollections, probably a song that you are familiar with and have a connection to is a better choice!)
posted by eviemath at 8:53 PM on May 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by eviemath at 8:53 PM on May 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
The first thing I thought of was "Sing if you're glad to be gay" although it might not work as well outside Britain.
posted by plonkee at 1:27 AM on May 24, 2022
posted by plonkee at 1:27 AM on May 24, 2022
Heart Shaped Box: unpacking 40 years of queer activism
posted by guessthis at 2:26 AM on May 24, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by guessthis at 2:26 AM on May 24, 2022 [4 favorites]
I'm Here, I'm Queer: How Activism Got Americans Used to It?
posted by champers at 3:35 AM on May 24, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by champers at 3:35 AM on May 24, 2022 [4 favorites]
The Arc of Justice Didn’t Bend Itself: How We Made the Rainbow
posted by Etrigan at 3:58 AM on May 24, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by Etrigan at 3:58 AM on May 24, 2022 [5 favorites]
Echo zengargolye - I Want to Break Free
If you're covering the US activist response to the AIDS crisis at any point in the talk, "Acting Up: The ..."
Riffing off Etrigan - "Over the rainbow: Traversing queer life in the US"
"I'm Harvey Milk and I'm here to recruit you": Queer protest and social change in the US
posted by happyfrog at 4:26 AM on May 24, 2022
If you're covering the US activist response to the AIDS crisis at any point in the talk, "Acting Up: The ..."
Riffing off Etrigan - "Over the rainbow: Traversing queer life in the US"
"I'm Harvey Milk and I'm here to recruit you": Queer protest and social change in the US
posted by happyfrog at 4:26 AM on May 24, 2022
If you want to go obvious, I Will Survive: Navigating blah blah blah.
posted by freecellwizard at 5:16 AM on May 24, 2022
posted by freecellwizard at 5:16 AM on May 24, 2022
Living History. I mean they are basically getting access to the equivalent of time travel, what would they ask, for example, a kid their age living in ww2, you know?
posted by Iteki at 5:32 AM on May 24, 2022
posted by Iteki at 5:32 AM on May 24, 2022
Response by poster: Thank you, all! Some of these suggestions were really great, and I appreciate the way AskMe always comes up with such clever things.
I ended up going with my original thought, since it was mainly to entertain myself (the kids were, in fact, a captive audience and did not care what the title was).
I however did NOT go with my working subtitle which was: "Forty Years Ago This Presentation Would've Gotten Both [Your History Teacher] and Me Fired."
Many thanks, all!
posted by lysimache at 3:20 PM on May 24, 2022 [11 favorites]
I ended up going with my original thought, since it was mainly to entertain myself (the kids were, in fact, a captive audience and did not care what the title was).
I however did NOT go with my working subtitle which was: "Forty Years Ago This Presentation Would've Gotten Both [Your History Teacher] and Me Fired."
Many thanks, all!
posted by lysimache at 3:20 PM on May 24, 2022 [11 favorites]
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posted by shadygrove at 4:05 PM on May 23, 2022