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Paperback
Publisher: Alyson Books
In this companion volume to his cri-tically acclaimed, Lambda Literary Awardwinning Gay Spirituality, Toby Johnson further explicates his visionary stance that gay people's nature as outsiders gives them a uniquely powerful perspective on the nature of God and religion. By living outside gender norms, gay people are more open to seeing across boundaries of gender and gain access to a less dualistic outlook on the nature of life. Once again, Johnson approaches this potentially controversial subject matter with -erudition, empathy and visionary speculation and gives meaning to gay consciousness beyond superficial issues of sexual behavior. Toby Johnson is the editor of White Crane, a quarterly journal of gay men's spirituality, as well as the -author of Gay Spirituality. He lives in Wimberley, Texas.
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| G-d, Religion and the World |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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Johnson, Toby. "Gay Perspective: Things our Homosexuality Tell Us About the Nature of G-d and the Universe", Lethe Press, 2008.
G-d, Religion and the World
Amos Lassen
Toby Johnson seems to have many of the answers to the questions I ask and I always learn something by reading him. In his newest book, "Gay Perspective", he continues the discussion he began in "Gay Spirituality" about the nature of G-d and religion and he once again adds a great deal to the issue.
Johnson looks at gays as outsiders and then shows the perspective that we have on the topics of life, sex, religion and G-d, and the world and shows how we can help others in society rise above ignorance and find true love and compassion for others.
Many are not aware of the spiritual consciousness that many gay people possess and the way that we express it. Johnson shows that even though we may be regarded as outsiders, we have the key to showing others how to find a place where acceptance, love and spirituality are the pervading influences.
Because of the stereotypes prevalent in society and the culture of today, the gay community finds itself in a position that it can reform the world. This is quite a radical idea and at times I found it somewhat difficult to agree with everything that Johnson presents yet there are plenty of good and worthwhile suggestions here and these should be regarded.
Johnson maintains that since we are "different" or "outsiders" we therefore have the ability to look at things differently--our view on the human experience is different because of our position in the larger society and this is what enables us to possess this different perspective. This perspective obviously is a valid one because so many of our gay and lesbian community have made important contributions to the world.
This gay perspective according to Johnson comes about because of three aspects of the modern homosexual experience and these include our "outsider" status, our duality of viewpoints and the blending of masculine and feminine viewpoints; the fact that many of us have both of these allows us to see all aspects of an issue and our sensitivity is tempered with strength and we both create and receive and because we go beyond what are considered to be sexual norms and bypass the typical definitions of masculinity and femininity. Then there is what Johnson refers to as "nondualism" by which we, therefore, can see beyond many limitations and we look at the issues of the world with practicality. Johnson urges us to celebrate out differences and that we must remain aware of the positive contributions that our difference has made to the rest of the world. We must also remember that the great clashes in world history between cultures who claim to have G-d on their side arose from the heterosexual notion of the polarization of the sexes.
The unique view that we have of the world shows how we are not in need of dogma or patriarchy. What we want is peace and tolerance (although I really dislike the term because it is, to me, a cop-out--I really do not want tolerance, I want complete and total acceptance). Please understand that Johnson also feels that we merit more than just tolerance and to say that is all this book asks for it to demean its intention. In fact, the word "tolerance" only appears three times in the book.
Johnson gives us a great deal to think about and the uniqueness of the way that he defines our perspective sheds light on who we are and how we think. As I said earlier, you do not have to agree with these ideas, but they should be considered.
We, as gay people, think that we are different from the rest of society mainly because of our sexual behavior and, by and large, there is a great deal of truth to this. Sex, however, is only a small part of the overall picture. It is because we are outsiders sexually that we view issues differently and especially the issues of religion and G-d. Johnson looks at our view of the world and of G-d and religion through our gay eyes and shows where our place is in terms of it. He reminds us that we should also include spirituality in our journey to equality and thereby emphasize our differences and then embrace them.
I found it completely absorbing the way that Toby Johnson looks at all religions as well as feminism and progressivism to bring about a new meaning of how we live in sync with the concept of the nature of G-d. In doing so he opens a way for us to express how we exist in the larger world (non-gay society) in which we live. So much of what he says has proven true for me living as a gay observant Jew in the buckle of the Bible belt in Little Rock, Arkansas. I have never been willing to compromise my sexuality nor my religious practice and have found a way to live within and share both of them.
I find that my faith is a revolutionary aspect of my total being and my sexuality when coupled with it creates a new dynamic. Once I accepted this I found that instead on facing closed doors, I found that doors freely opened for me. Looking at religion as an outsider allowed me to see the truths and the untruths that religion uses to manipulate people. Johnson simply tells us what we need to know and he does so in beautifully written prose that makes a great deal of sense. So much of what he says is just common sense but many of us fail to see his premises and they stand there right in front of us and within easy reach. Reading "Gay Perspective" is an eye opening experience and it will change the way you look at so many different things. We must be thankful that we have someone like Toby Johnson to help us understand just who we are and, even better, to help guide us to where we are going. It is not just acceptance that we want, need and thirst for. What we really want is a sense of reverence and this is something that we are entitled to--tolerance is just not enough for what we bring to the table. We offer a special and positive cultural and spiritual talent that others do not have.
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| One gay perspective on "Gay Perspective": lousy! |
| Customer Rating: 1 out of 5 |
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Johnson ultimately manages to paint as one-dimensional of a portrait of gays and lesbians as the "Family Values" types who are critical of the "gay lifestyle". Apparently we're "remarkably generous, cooperative, supportive, friendly, harmonious, and peaceful" (page x). We eschew the dogmatic, patriarchal religions of the West and the competitive nature of Western society. We love peace, tolerance, and female movie stars. Oh, please. Sure, I'd like to say that I am generous, cooperative, etc., but the fact is that I am just as prone to the opposite of all these traits as most straight people. And I thrive on competition. Although Johnson himself is gay, his sugar-coated, nicey-nice descriptions of gays and the unique "perspective" we're supposed to have on sex, religion and God looks like the 21st century version of the Noble Savage myth. His description of the Body Electric workshops was pretty cool, but you may as well just do a Google search for Body Electric. I think a half-serious scholar of the Bible would have some critical things to say of his portrayal of Jesus as some sort of Eastern sage, but I guess the "gay perspective" doesn't include concern for the historical context of ancient writings. The best point he came up with was that as the majority of gays do not have children of their own, they have more time to really develop their own character and live their own lives to the fullest, and in a way they can care for everybody else's children. It's a nice thought, but it can also just as easily apply to straight people who choose not to have or adopt children.
I signed this book out of a library and wasted an evening reading it, but I'm glad I did, because it confirmed for me that the "gay spirituality" movement is nothing that I want to waste my time on. Unless it gives me an excuse to have really great tantric sex.
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| Our unique contributions to our society and planet |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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It is obvious that LesBiGay and Trans-people have a take on life that is vastly different from those held by the straight majority. In Gay Perspective, author Toby Johnson (Gay Spirituality) shows us how our status as sexual and gender outsiders allows us to think outside the box. �Being gay gives us a perspective on human experience that is different from that of the great majority of people. There must be something special and useful to humanity about this perspective, since a disproportionate number of important artists, poets, religious leaders, and spiritual guides in the past were what today we�d call gay.� Gay perspective, Johnson tells us, �is based on three specific aspects of modern homosexual experience: First, we are outsiders and strangers. This status bequeaths � and sometimes forces on us � an ability to view life from a critical perspective.� �Second, most of us tend to embody both masculine and feminine viewpoints and characteristics . Hence we�re able to see both sides of issues and to be both strong and sensitive, both creative and receptive.� Finally, �by transgressing normal sexual and gender roles and by transcending the polarities of male and female, we see beyond the entire array of polarities humanity projects onto nature.� Our existence or experience as queers �demonstrates certain facts about nature�; �causes us to discover certain truth about life and human psychology�; and �teaches us practical lessons about contemporary problems and issues�. In Gay Perspective, Johnson shows us what our gay perspective tells us about life, sex, religion, the Church, God and the world. Traditional Judaism, Christianity and Islam condemn all who are different, including GLBT people, as threats to all that�s �normal�. Nowadays, some would argue that we are just like everyone else, with one minor difference. In Gay Perspective, Toby Johnson admits our differences, glories in them, and show how our differences allow us to make unique contributions to our society and to the planet. While most people are trapped in a �cycle of birth, reproduction, parenting, and death� we who are gay are �opting out of time� and are �witnesses to life lived in the present moment.� Thus there is a lot that others can learn from us, in times like these. Jesse Monteagudo in the Winter 2003 issue of White Crane Journal
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| Thoughtful, Clear, Positive, Life-Affirming |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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I don't tend to read a lot of non-fiction, and that which I do read I choose carefully. I am thankful I chose to read GAY PERSPECTIVE. This is a book full of hope and heart, and every person-gay or straight-would benefit from reading it. Toby Johnson, the author of the previous groundbreaking book, GAY SPIRITUALITY, takes his points from that earlier book one step further and delineates a careful examination of all the ways that an "outsider" perspective - such as a non-heterosexual point of view - allows for a unique and life-giving take on true spirituality, as opposed to old-time religion of superstition, fear, and exclusion. He includes chapters on how our homosexuality tells us things about: Life, Sex, Religion, the Church, God, and the World, and in so doing, weaves together a wonderful narrative about all the ways gay people can help society transcend ignorance and embrace true love and compassion. In thoughtful, clear language, Johnson presents positive affirmation that the spiritual consciousness that gay people-indeed, all GLBTQ people-are now expressing is a vital and evolutionary step forward for everyone on the planet. No longer need we be trapped in meaningless, dogmatic, fear-based, or male-dominated religious practices. He writes, "It is not a negative, fatalistic, or materialistic secularism our homosexuality reveals to us, but a universe full of mystery, wonder, beauty, and magic" (p. 203). We "outsiders" have the opportunity to rise above that and lead the way for all people to a more loving, accepting, and spiritually fulfilling place. Early on, Johnson says that gay men may find the book to be more about them than lesbians will. He indicates that since he is writing from the experience of a gay man, he doesn't assume to speak for women; however, as a lesbian reading this book, I found that the author accorded respect toward all women and advocated for a holistic and feminist view of relationships for all. Author, psychotherapist, activist, and community organizer Toby Johnson is also a religious scholar and former Catholic monk. His experience and insight shine in this fantastic new book. I highly recommend it to anyone-gay or otherwise. ~Lori L. Lake, author of Different Dress, Stepping Out, Gun Shy, Under The Gun, and Ricochet In Time, and reviewer for Midwest Book Review, The Independent Gay Writer, The Gay Read, and Just About Write.
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| Envision |
| Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 |
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With a clear vision, Toby Johnson explores how being homosexual, and thus non-standard, allows us queers a unique view on religion, society, spirituality, sexuality, and gender roles. Embracing a variety of faiths and a range of progressive and feminist doctrines, he shapes a brave redefinition of how to live as gay and lesbian individuals, fully in tune with the concepts of God's whole nature. "Gay Perspective" is a thought-provoking volume, and is intended as such, to create a discourse for us to express in our relationship with the non-gay world in which we live. I found it quite inspiring, especially in its reaffirmation of simple truths that are easily forgotten in our modern world, and I heartily recommend it to anyone willing to imagine the world as a tapestry of beauty.
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