The Fierce Tribe: Body Fascists, Crack Whores, and Circuit Queens in the Spiritual Performance of Masculine Non- Violence
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THE FIERCE TRIBE: BODY FASCISTS, CRACK WHORES, AND CIRCUIT QUEENS IN THE SPIRITUAL PERFORMANCE OF MASCULINE NON- VIOLENCE DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Michael Ray Weems. M.A. ***** The Ohio State University 2007 Dissertation Committee: Doctor William Taylor, Advisor Approved by Doctor Seymour Kleiman _________________________ Doctor Patrick Mullen Advisor Education Policy and Leadership Doctor Hugh Urban Doctor Ann Allen Copyright by Michael Ray Weems 2007 ABSTRACT This dissertation is a multidisciplinary approach that looks at the dance culture of gay men known as “the Circuit.” The circuit is a transnational, nomadic, and carnivalesque community that gathers by the thousands to dance together for a weekend in various large cities. Acknowledging the outlaw (socially transgressive) status of the Circuit community both within the Gay community and outside of it, this research examines the nonviolent masculinity of the Circuit community and the production of transcendent solidarity, a core experience of male bonding in the Circuit. In order to understand the bonding particular to the Circuit, the importance of communal dance is situated in the relationship that participants have with “disc jockeys,” professionals who choose prerecorded songs and “mix” one tune in with the next without a break in the rhythm. The outlaw nature of the Circuit is particularly interesting in that there is little to no violence among intoxicated, sexually-charged men. The phenomenon of transcendent solidarity is framed as a spiritual ritual that is performed by the dancing participants. In order to further frame this experience as possibly dangerous but generally beneficial, the Circuit is contrasted with the social dynamics and transcendent solidarity of two other outlaw masculinities, that of ii soldiers and terrorists, while not sharing in the punitive “us against them” worldview and violent expressions of masculinity that the military and terrorists espouse. This research is teleological; it aims to legitimize the Circuit without trying to sanitize its controversial methods, and it also aspires to point out ways in which male bonding that could be modified away from violent expression, thus leading to a reduction in violence worldwide. iii DEDICATION To my parents, who gave me intellectual curiosity and compassion. To my Kevin, with whom all things are possible. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Abhinavagupta,.Elliot Alexander, John Ansell, Lars-Peter Andersen, Lincoln Arter, Eddie Babbage, Peter Barona, Mark Blecher , Roland Belmares, Joe Bermudez, Phillip Bhullar , Jim Birch, Don Bishop, Lyne Boulé, Nick Boyce, Melissa Brouard, Alan Brown, Alyson Calagna, Steve Ceplenski, Pei Chang, Ed Childs, Johnny Chisholm, Carlo Chiocchio, Curtis Clifford, Gary Clinton, Kat Coric, Chris Davis, George Dellinger, Angie Denmon, Márcia de Souza, Michael Diamond, Robert Doyle, Mike Duretto, Monty Eckart, Christine Embon, Rob Engel, John Farley, Alan Flippen, Dominic Galleli, Bob Ganem, Joe Gauthreaux, Warren Gluck, Paulo Gois, Tim Guimond, Barry Harris, Karen Hartley, Ken Harwood, Tony Hayden, Frank Herbert, Joe Hickerson,, Paul Hinzman, Wendy Hunt, Power Infiniti, Drew Jackson, Gary James, Joey Juan, Eric Jundt, Steve Kammon, Matt Kalkoff, Jeff Kennedy, David Knapp, Frankie Knuckles, Mikey Kon, Rajesh Lahoti, Rob Levy, David Ling Lee, Robbie Leslie, Allen Lungo, Wade Maggert, Edward Martelino , Chris Mann, Julian Marsh, Erikk Martin, John Martin, Victor Mauro, Tom McBride, Kevin McKee, Steve Lam, Lawrence McGauley, Mike Luczaj, Don Millinger, Dean Miner, Rick Mitchell, Susan Morabito, Scott Nusbaum, Steve Odin, Osunlade, Brian Paddick, Shawn Palacious, Ben Peraza, Brian Pfeifer, Candida Scott Piel, Thomas Piontek, Lou Piper, Lydia Prim, Jeremy Provaznik, Chuck Quarles, Peter Rauhofer, Patti Razzeto, Jake Resnicow, Paul Richard, Shane Rogers, Caroline Rousse, Sammi Sanna, Michael Saso, Sean Selman, Smriti Shrinivas, Georg Simmel, Don Spradlin, Gary Steinberg, Michelle Stonelake, Michael Talley, Adam Tanner, Pierre-Paul Tellier, Jennifer Terry, Mark Thompson, Clovis Thorn, Alan Tiebaldeo, William Tyler, Chris Verdugo, Steve Weinstein, Hilton Wolman, Jim Windsor, Tracy Young, and, with much love and respect, Júlio Santana Braga and Corbett Reynolds. Eparrei Oya! Oké Aro! Epa Baba! Salve Regina! St. Michael, pray for us. v VITA December 17, 1957 ……………………. Born—Fort Smith, Arkansas 1981 …………………………………… B.A. Philosophy, Berea College 1989 …………………………………… M.A. Anthropology, University of Hawaii-Manoa 1997 …………………………………… M.A. Comparative Studies, The Ohio State University PUBLICATIONS 1. Mickey Weems, “The Circuit: Gay Men’s Techniques of Ecstasy.” Manly Traditions, Simon Bronner, editor. Blomington, IN: Indiana Univerversity Press, 2005 FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field of Study: Education Folklore, Anthropology of Religion, Somatic Studies, Sexuality Studies vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract ………………………………………………………………… ii Dedication ................................................................................................ iv Acknowledgments ................................................................................... v Vita …………………………………………………………………….. vi Preface: Banishing the God of Mediocrity …………………………….. ix Introduction: Outlaw Spirituality of Fascists and Whores …………….. 1 PART I THE CIRCUIT Chapters: 1. The Circuit: The Few, The Proud, The Cracked …………………….. 58 2. Thousands of Dancing Gay Men ………………………….………… 76 PART II ROOTS: FOUR SHORT HISTORIES 3. Homosexuality: 700 BCE-1969 CE ………………………………… 88 4. The Circuit(s): 1969 CE-Present ……………………………………. 130 5. Popular Dance ………………………………………………………. 191 6. African/African American Musical Roots ………………………….. 228 PART III THE BODY-MIND 7. Pulse: From Marching Soldier to Dancing Queen ………………….. 240 8. Fierce ………………………………………………………………... 253 9. The DJ ………………………………………………………………. 282 10. The Girlfriends …………………………………………………….. 302 11. Harm Reduction …………………………………………………… 323 PART IV THE SOUL 12. Stepping Out: The Circuit as Ecstatic Ritual ………………………. 331 13. The Ethics of Pleasure ……………………………………………... 365 14. Tribe ……………………………………………………………….. 377 vii APPENDIX: NOTES FROM THE FIELD Barnyard Logic ………………………………………………………... 389 Shrines to Eros and Psyche: Stonewall and the Saint 2002 …………… 405 Eros and Psyche Go to the Beach: Fire Island 2003 …………………... 418 Life, Liberty, and Philadelphia Blue Ball 2004 ……………………….. 429 Bad Boys Need Fierce Girls: Montreal Black and Blue 2006 ………… 434 Bibliography …………………………………………………………… 441 viii PREFACE: BANISHING THE GOD OF MEDIOCRITY The idea of a religious ceremony of any importance naturally elicits the idea of a festival. Inversely, every festival has certain characteristics of a religious ceremony … its effect is to bring individuals together, to put the masses into motion, and thus induce a state of effervescence—sometimes even delirium—which is not without kinship to the religious state. Émile Durkheim, The Elementary Forms of Religious Life 386-387 When I first “came out,” I felt out of place in the local Gay scene. Most of the Gay men I knew were effeminate and not into bodybuilding—I had little in common with them. I used to tell people I was “stray,” that is, both Straight and Gay. I finally came to the conclusion that I was a Straight guy who happened to sleep with other guys. I was especially attracted to men like myself, but they seemed so few. That was before I went to my first Circuit party.1 I remember walking into a large venue and looking down from the balcony at a sea of shirtless men immersed in music and lights. Most of them were in decent shape; quite a few 1 Columbus Red Party, 1998. ix were muscular. A lot of them looked, sounded, and acted Straight, except for the obvious fact that they were dancing sensually with each other. I was astonished at what I witnessed when I hit the dance floor. There were men that actually said that they were Gay without the smallest hint of effeminate behavior or the slightest hesitation. They could easily “pass” for Straight, but chose not to. This was the first time I’d ever met “Straight-acting” Gay couples, and there were lots of them. I had not realized that such a thing was possible. What impressed me the most was the lack of violence. All these well-built, sexed-up, and intoxicated men were socializing, but with very little swearing. Nobody shoved each other in anger, and fighting was out of the question. Aggression was expressed by icy distain rather than fists. For the first time in my life, I felt completely at home. This is not to say that there were no Circuit boys there who “acted Gay.” Even though the behavioral norm of the Circuit is grounded in muscle and macho, every event is well stocked with “screaming queens” whose performance of femininity keeps the “butch” (ultra-masculine) types from taking themselves too seriously. There is usually a nice balance between the two performance genres. Many men casually switched back and forth between masculine and feminine behavioral codes with hilarious results, another possibility I had not considered. x There is an old parlor game in the Gay community: “If you could take a pill that could make you Straight, would you do it?” After discovering the Circuit, my answer changed to a resounding negative. Dancing in solidarity with other Gay men was more fulfilling than anything I had ever felt as a Straight man. It was also a hell of a lot more fun. As a scholar, the Circuit