Affirmative Action Office intern Cara Fuller '00 transformed Collis Porch into a controversial talk show set yesterday afternoon in a presentation mysteriously named "Whispers."
A rowdy, energetic crowd of more than 60 students gathered to watch, frequently shouting out comments, questions and jokes. Lively music created the informal, humorous atmosphere in which otherwise sober topics were discussed.
Acting Associate Director of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Michelle Meyers '83 and Assistant Drama Professor Framji Minwalla acted as talk show co-hosts, inviting three pairs of student panelists to discuss issues of masculinity, femininity and sexuality.
Fuller, who had been organizing the event for a term and a half, said she wanted to bring together diversified people from different parts of campus to address issues of homophobia in communities of color and racism in the queer community.
"We're whispering about these issues, but people are not talking about them out loud," she said, explaining the title of the presentation.
John Brett '00 and Gerald Taylor '00 formed the first pair, who talked about masculinity. They addressed such questions as "Who defines masculinity for black men and white men?"
Taylor said civil rights leaders and images in popular culture influenced many black men.
He added that "a lot of black men have to affirm their masculinity" by associating themselves with a stereotype.
A member of the audience asked why gay men tend to act like black women, which was later addressed again in a discussion of the term "queen," an image both groups identified with.
Someone else in the audience suggested the hyper-sexuality and confidence of black women were something gay men wanted to emulate.
Elizabeth Agosto '01 and Hillary Miller '02 entered the floor to talk about femininity. Agosto was introduced as a steamy, sexualized female and Miller as a hardcore feminist, to rowdy cheers from the audience.
According to Agosto, as a culture, femininity is defined by the media, through such mediums as music and movies.
"[Femininity is] whatever you choose to eroticize in your own mind," Miller said.
The panelists also discussed the concept of flirting, spurred by Minwalla's comment, "Straight men can't flirt."
Minwalla made the provocative suggestion that straight men do not have to hide anything, which lies at the heart of flirting.
The last pair consisted of Ilya Magazanin '00, a straight man pretending to be a flaming gay man, and Eric Buchman '00.
Members of the audience were invited to hone Magazanin's performance as a flaming homosexual. They rolled up his pants, took off his tie and tied his shirt at the waist.
A girl in the audience volunteered to turn herself into a more butch-looking figure. She changed from a dress into jeans, sneakers and a tank top.
Snap diva and afro queen contests ended the program.
Ending the presentation, Meyers warned the audience the dangers of stereotypes.
"The only useful thing about stereotypes is [the ability to] criticize them, to have fun with them and to push back on them."
