"I'm Here to Make Sure You Don't Say Anything Controversial..."

An interesting thought was expressed back in December on a blog, Ghost Theory, about my website. One of the stories of a gay ghost was pulled out from the bunch and brought into the limelight. The story, of a ghost said to pull down the zipper of male employees, raised questions and concerns of reinforcing stereotypes and being a bit off-color.

To be honest, I know some people will see it as ammunition reinforcing their views that gay men are loathsome creatures hellbent on seducing any male in their vicinity. But others will have a good laugh about it. Some may even find it fascinating. In fact, each person who reads about it will take away from it something different. That's the beauty of individualistic thought.

Some could say that I should eliminate it. That it's too "negative" for the gay community. I can't find it within myself to do that. I'm not a fan of censorship. to do so would be an attempt to paint a perfect, idealistic view of the community free of anything bad or "distasteful" (as some may say). But that's not reality. It's not true. Just look around at the world: there are murderers, rapists, thieves, and rogues in every walk of life, every sector of society. In every category we create for ourselves (rich, poor, black, white, Russian, American, gay, straight, etc.), there are good, bad, or ugly people. Why pretend they don't exist?

Perhaps there's a little James Whale in me: the sarcastic oh-dear-I'll-never-work-in-this-town-again attitude of non-conventional thought. Personally, I don't see anything wrong with that. I ruffle a lot of feathers and I'm not always politically correct. But there is only one way not to offend anyone: never say anything. Never express an opinion. Never have a viewpoint. Never hold any convictions.

I am sometimes guilty of being a fence-sitter and not taking sides or joining a rally cry. That happens when I either a) don't have enough information to form an opinion; or b) see the gunfighting getting downright dangerous and would prefer to stay out of the crossfire. In those cases, I try to keep my opinions to myself. They are rare instances, but they do happen. More often I treat everything with a healthy dose of humor. This is often directed at both sides. In most instances of life, there is no "right side" to be on. There is truth to be found in all sides of most arguments.

I have always taken great pride in being unique, seeing outside the box, and not conforming to the mainstream world around me. I like what I like because I enjoy it, not because anyone wants me to like it. And that view expresses itself in all aspects of my life. My tastes range from the traditional to the bizarre, which is probably why I gravitate toward the paranormal. It goes without saying that even in the supernatural vein, I aim for the strange. But I make no apologies for that. I like paving new paths and marching to my own dysfunctional drummer inside my head. I giggle at what makes some people cringe. I thrill in the pursuit of the weird.

And so, horny ghosts stay in my work. I make jibes at people not for being different, but for turning a sunken dinghy into the Titanic. I point out unusual things unknown to many. And that's all a part of who I am. As Bette Davis once said, "Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night."