The Role of the Gay Community in the Great Dialectic


Along with the emergence of the feminine archetpe over the last fifty years,there was a parrellel emergence of a positive gay identity at all levels, social, political, cultural and spiritual all over the world. That emergence has a teleological purpose in the development of the anima-animus mundi. This presence of a visible gay community, for the first time is an integral part of that dialectic and is another aspect of the rediscovery of the feminine or, what I prefer to call, the balancing of the masculine and feminine in a new synthesis in the human personality.

Clearly the dominence in the dialectic of the masculine archetype with the repression of the feminine has gone hand in hand with the repression of the homosexual. G. Rattrey Taylor in his book: Sex In History points out that patriarchal cultures combined a subordinationist view of woman with a strong repression of male homosexuality; whereas cultures based on a matriarchal principle tend to combine an enhancment of the status of women with a relative tolerance for male homosexual practices. The rise of the feminine archetype in recent years gives us reason to hope that gays and lesbians will be fully accepted in the future human community. It is interestong to note that those countries who continue to severly persecute gays are the same countries that continue to severly subordinate women to men. because they are freqently in touch with and act in accord with the feminine dimension of themselves.

At the heart of all homophobia is feminaphobia and repression of the feminine. Gay men are seen as a threat to patriarchy because they are frequently in touch with and act in accord with the feminine dimension of themselves. So the evolution of the feminine archetype potentially brings along with itself gay male liberation.

Every dialectical movement toward a higher synthesis, if it is to succeed,must carry within itself the seed of synthesis. I believe that providentially the seed of synthesis in the masculine'feminine dialectic can be found if the LGBT community. This is a perfect example of the prophecy of scripture that the stone that was rejected becomes the cornerstone.

For this dialectic to reach a successful conclusion depends on the emergence of a visible group that can live out fully both its masculine and feminine dimensiom in good equilibrium and can bring forth a ballance synthesis of the two. This I believe is the providential role of the gay and lesbian political and spiritual groups that have sprung into existence over the past 50 years.