No Longer a Prince Among Men

What do you do when a hero of yours – an icon, for crying out loud – not just has feet of clay, but also brain of Jell-o?

I’m talking about Prince, one of the most brilliant musicians of our time and still so, I must grudgingly admit. But if you haven’t heard, he thinks gay people are kind of disgusting. He said the Bible opposes homosexuality and God has said “enough.”

In an interview that appears in the Nov. 24 edition of the New Yorker, Prince talked at length about his Jehovah’s Witness faith. When asked for his views on social issues--gay marriage and abortion--Prince tapped his Bible and said, "God came to earth and saw people sticking it wherever and doing it with whatever, and he just cleared it all out. He was, like, 'Enough.' "

My first reaction when I read this was not anger, but laughter. After all, this is a man who:

1) Has worn high heels, make-up and flamboyant, often sequined, clothes that at one time had the butt cut out of them.

2) Wore a Speedo on the cover of his 1980 Dirty Mind album, which featured a song that fantasized about him having sex with his sister (in the appropriately tiled song, “Sister”).

3) Has sung frequently, exhaustively, and graphically, if imaginatively, about sex.

4) Has fragrantly played with sexual and gender roles in his performances and music, one-upping David Bowie and Madonna. (Safe bet that he’s had a sexual encounter with at least one man.)

5) Has had sex with numerous people, numerous times.

Apparently that Prince is behind us and lo, a new one has taken his place. But does religious faith mean he has to turn into a hypocritical homophobe? I grant anyone the right to change his or her values, lifestyle, and belief system if it edifies peace of mind and quality of life. But that person doesn’t have to cast aspersions on those he or she still considers in the wilderness.

Prince has basically ascended to a higher moral level and has ruefully peered at those behind the pearly gates he shut behind himself. And the whole “people sticking it wherever and doing it with whatever” quote. That’s something base and ignorant, and it sounds like it’s coming from the mouth of a seven-year-old – or Fred Phelps.

This article made me think what would happen if one of my gay male friends, a consummate partier, changed his ways due to faith, a partner, etc., and he proceeded to strike out at those who used to be like him. It would rub me the wrong way. I’d appreciate and respect his new life. But that kind of judgmental thinking doesn’t do anyone good. The “moralists” feel superior and the “heathens” feel lacking.

The ideal in life is that each of us becomes responsible and accountable for his/her own life without telling others “the way.” Besides, who decides what the way is, and couldn’t there be more than one way.

Prince doesn’t have to worry about fallout from this article. He has his millions, musical legacy, and mansions to cushion him against any blows. (Although I wonder what his music industry and Hollywood friends have to say about an anti-gay tirade).

But he lost the respect of one die-hard fan. I’ll keep all the CDs and downloads, but the thrill is mostly gone.