Questions and Answers

One of the purposes of a blog is commenting on happenings in a timely manner.

Well, this morning before my GoogleAlert for Gertrude Stein even had a chance to send me any alerts, I got an e mail from a friend on the East Coast with this heading:

“Lesbians Booted from Gertrude Stein Exhibit – San Francisco…”

And why did a security guard try to get them to leave the Contemporary Jewish Museum…for defacing a painting? Pressing their noses against one of the Plexiglas vitrines?  Relishing an Alice B. Toklas treat while touring the show?

No, no, no…for holding hands!!!

Word about this incident is apparently spreading like wildfire within the community of Stein fans, as well as in newspapers across the country. (One of my friends has proposed a “Hand-Holding, Sit-In” type of day at the museum.)

How can I not comment on this in a timely manner considering that many items from my collection are featured in the exhibition, which I hope this couple was able to view before they were so unconscionably treated!

The story, as it has unfolded so far, is that on Sunday, according to an eyewitness, a security guard told a lesbian couple that they could not hold hands in the museum.  They began arguing with the guard asking to speak with someone in authority.  A small crowd gathered and the guard attempted to get the couple to leave. According to a statement issued by the museum’s director Connie Wolf, the couple did speak with the head of security who reprimanded the guard and also apologized to the couple.

In the newspaper article that appeared this morning in the San Francisco Chronicle, a spokesperson for the museum emphasizes the museum’s support of the gay community.  Ms Wolf’s statement was even more emphatic “Please let me be crystal clear that the CJM has a zero tolerance policy concerning any type of prejudiced or racist word or action— whether directed at CJM visitors or staff.”

The museum does do a lot of programming focused on the LGBTQ community and the “Queer” Stein is a major theme of the exhibition with a number of essays on the subject in the book that accompanies Seeing Gertrude Stein: Five Stories. Among the many events planned this summer by the museum, there was a panel discussion a few weeks ago, “Gertrude Stein and Contemporary Queer Culture,”  with co-curator Tirza True Latimer and Stanford University Professor Terry Castle  to “discuss Stein’s bonds with gay artists in the 1920s to 30s, and her legacy in contemporary queer culture. Moderated by CJM Director Connie Wolf.”

And this coming Sunday, one week after the incident, the museum presents “LGBT Family Morning of Stein,”  for, as their web site describes:

“a special summer Family Morning of Stein for LGBT Bay Area families, when the CJM will open early for ALL families with children. Honored guests will include the Lesbian/Gay Chorus of San Francisco, the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band, and Voices Lesbian Choral Ensemble! Move to the groove, tour the Seeing Gertrude Stein: Five Stories exhibition, create poetry magnets and artful roses, and enjoy tea and pastries at our “Stein Salon”. It will be Steintabulous!”

But back to the security guard for a moment—what was he or she thinking when this couple strolled by hand-in-hand? And why did the guard feel that his or her discomfort with this situation had to be put into the context of the museum not allowing this kind of behavior?  If he or she had a religious belief that did not condone gay relationships or he or she felt uncomfortable around gay people or maybe even the whole theme of the exhibition made them uncomfortable, one would have hoped that some of this could have been addressed by appropriate staff training before this unfortunate confrontation occurred.  Yes, there is supposedly something known as “sensitivity training”  and maybe the security company hired by the museum requires its employees to take part in it.

In my opinion, even though the museum has requested that the guard no longer be assigned to CJM , this coming Sunday’s “LGBT Family Morning of Stein” may be the best sensitivity training to which he or she could be exposed.  And maybe, just maybe one of the gay or lesbian parents or their kids might extend a hand to the guard and prove to the guard that really, we’re all in this complex thing called LIFE together and working together to make life better for all of us isn’t a bad place to be.

PS

UPDATES  July 22nd, 2011 from  The San Francisco Chronicle:

Letters to the Editor:

What would Gertrude do?

I am coming out as one of the two women asked to leave the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco for holding hands last Sunday (“Guard’s crackdown gets out of hand at museum,” C.W.Nevius, July 19).

The director and regularly employed security staff at the museum all acted swiftly and with compassion regarding the homophobic incident. I am a supporter of the museum and hold the individual security guard (and his temp agency) responsible, not the museum.

I also appreciate the support of so many people standing up for our right to engage in appropriate (and frequently displayed by our straight counterparts) acts of public affection.

This was just one (and in the bigger scope, small) homophobic act by one individual, and while it was a distressing and awful experience, it most importantly calls attention to homophobia in its bigger arena — issues concerning safety.

I refer to this last year’s prevalence of young gay suicides (an outcome primarily brought about by homophobic bullying) and the verbal and physical abuses that gays in this country face all the time.

I hope that the column and ensuing dialogue around it can spark some productive action and positive effect. And everyone should go see the Gertrude Stein exhibit that we were viewing at the museum — it’s nothing short of brilliant.

Kaia Wilson, Portland, Ore.

And from Leah Garchik’s column:

The administration of the Contemporary Jewish Museum, engulfed in unwelcome publicity when a contract security guard told two lesbians that holding hands was not allowed there, is making lemonade from that lemon.

In conjunction with “Seeing Gertrude Stein: Five Stories,” Sunday’s previously scheduled LGBT Family Morning – to feature performances by the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band, the Voices Lesbian Choral Ensemble and Lesbian/Gay Chorus of San Francisco – has been declared Hand Holding Day as well. Visitors are encouraged “to come stroll hand-in-hand through the galleries, no matter who you love, and to celebrate the LGBT families in our community.”

 

 

 

Tagged Bruce Kellner, Connie Wolf, Gertrude Stein, Seeing Gertrude Stein:Five Stories, Terry Castle, Tirza True Latimer