In My Tribe: Gay Culture, Traditionalists and "The New Wave"

[KurtNYC]

2. I think the author takes on too much in such a short piece

A lot has changed in 50 years.

While he starts by talking about "tribe" he ends with the teenager describing how he doesn't want to move to a gay ghetto and join a tribe. A combination of forces and events have moved us beyond the tribe/ghetto lifestyle. I don't think abandoning that model is disrespecting the contributions that prior generations made -- it is celebrating them and building on them.

I see the tribe and ghetto thing as being the reaction of gays to being oppressed. So I see the coming end of that era as the end of major oppression. That (some) kids today can grow up being more open and having a mix of friends and sharing their dating experiences is much healthier than what used to happen and their mental health as adults will reflect that.