Analysis Of Mel Roman's Coming Out Under Fire

For my community event paper, I decided to go to the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art and observe the various works of Mel Roman in his exhibition, Coming Out Under Fire. Mel Roman was a civil rights activist, clinical psychologist, and artist. He served during World War II in the US Navy and was honorably discharged in 1950. During his time in the military, Roman noticed that there was a rather large discrimination against homosexuals. Later in life, he became an artist and activist who put together the collection of art pieces that constitute Coming Out Under Fire. The exhibition shares its name with a 1994 documentary, which is an account of the military policy during World War II in regards to homosexuals. The documentary is shown

There is one part of the exhibition that I felt did make me question some of my beliefs. There was one piece where you enter into, maybe, a ten foot by ten foot area and there are large mirrors on all four walls. On the mirrors, in large, black print, were phases or slurs that would be insulting to the LGBTQ community. I do not remember all of the mirrors said, but I know that one said, “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL,” another said, “DYKE,” and a third one said, “FAGGOT.” And you would just sit in this little area and look at yourself in the mirrors with these words somewhat covering your face. To me it just reminded me that I am a part of a world where slurs, and policies like “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” exist and have existed. It made me think more about how I fit into this world. In a description for the artwork I learned that Roman had become partial to using the phrase, “If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.” Reading this made me ask myself the question, “Am I part of the solution?” While I do believe that the LGBTQ community, and in general everyone, deserves equal rights and respect, I do not really advocate for it. Whenever I hear that the LGBTQ community, or some ethnic group, wins a civil rights case I think, “Good for them,” but I have never been someone who stood outside the court house with a picket sign. To be honest, I am not sure if I ever see myself doing that. Whenever I consider doing something like that, I think something along the lines of, “It’s not my fight. I have other things to do.” So I now find myself wondering if I am really part of the solution. Though it is somewhat of a loaded phrase that is very black and white, and I know very well that almost all things in the world are not just black and white but an innumerable numbers of shades of grey. But even on a spectrum between solution and problem I am