If you're like many gay urbanites in Chicago, living "out and proud" feels second nature, given the many gains of the mainstream LGBT-rights movement. But, for gay and trans steelworkers in northwest Indiana, it's a different world: one where masculinity and homophobia dominate workplace culture. Being open could cost them their dignity, their safety and even their jobs.
Understanding that divide motivated lesbian feminist scholar Anne Balay to collect the steelworkers' oral histories for five years, culminating in her newly released book, Steel Closets. Balay shared book excerpts and insights during the latest Lavender University lecture on April 5 at Center on Halsted.
"The people I interviewed said that in the '70s and '80s ... it was okay to be gay [in the mills]," she said, adding that steelworkers despise the trend of increased gay visibility because it now gets them targeted. "They routinely say things like, 'I'd never go to the pride parade because those kinds of people are ... queens who walk around naked and act like revolutionaries, when they don't have any idea what price other people have to pay for that.'"
In order to unearth that sentiment, Balay began researching the topic, fueled by her curiosity after driving past the bustling mills of Northwest Indiana. Although Balay came up empty, she didn't lose hope, instead opting for a more direct approach: asking the steelworkers themselves. As an English professor, she credits her previous vocation as a mechanic for allowing her to make connections otherwise unlikely for people in her field.
"People might not talk to that kind of person, whereas a mechanic is somebody who does dirty, disrespected work," said Balay, who wore her old uniform while frequenting popular steelworker bars for research. "[Gay and trans steelworkers] were hard to find because they were hidden. They weren't out at work."
Balay, who lives in Gary, Ind., collected oral histories from 40 steelworkers, 20 who presented as men and 20 who presented as women. Subjects identified as gay men or women, or as trans. After the first 15 interviews, which took a year and a half to amass, she reached out to a columnist in Northwest Indiana, hoping he'd write about her work and encourage more steelworkers to come forward.
"Following that column, I interviewed more than 20 people in the space of about three weeks," she said, adding that it was one of the most emotionally draining, yet powerful experiences she's ever had. "The life of a queer steelworker is really hard. The jobs are challenging, dangerous, difficult ... But these stories were also amazing—people who really feel that their jobs are important, have a sense of community in terms of what they do and how they do it."
It was then that Balay decided to write "Steel Closets," in which she also sought to dispel stereotypes by illustrating steelworkers' challenging livelihoods. She discovered that gay and trans workers faced increased struggles within the mills, adding to stress caused by alternating weekly shifts and occupational hazards such as losing limbs in machines and exposure to toxic fumes.
"The 20 gay men that I interviewed experienced high degrees of brutality, violence, harassment, attacks," she said Saturday, noting that it's still legal to fire LGBT employees without cause in Indiana. "The ongoing physical attacks ... happen to women, but they're more directed at men."
Although Balay met her initial interview subjects in bars, the space represented yet another affliction for steelworkers: higher rates of alcoholism than the general population. During her Saturday lecture, Balay noted that Irregular schedules give way to social isolation and perpetual exhaustion, making it difficult for steelworkers to exercise work-life balance. Bars at the mills open at 7 a.m., making them an attractive environment for workers who need an outlet.
"A ton of people I interviewed couldn't drive because of the DUIs they have," Balay said. "Queer people have rates of alcoholism higher than the rest of the population, because we live lives of repression and rejection. These steelworkers ... have two populations that increase their risk of alcoholism. The numbers were pretty appalling."
Balay emphasized that the gay and trans steelworkers she interviewed still want their stories heard, despite remaining stealth in their communities and at work. That's because they seek acknowledgement and respect for their way of living.
"[They] are like ... stop criticizing me and assuming your way of seeing the world is the correct way," Balay said. "Your way of being gay isn't the best, most ideal and most political and brave way to be gay. It's just a way. There's lots of them."
Rutgers University professor Timothy Stewart-Winter will deliver the final lecture in the current Lavender University series, titled "From Civil Rights to Gay Rights in Chicago," to take place on Saturday, May 3 at Center on Halsted, from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. To purchase tickets, visit community.centeronhalsted.org/lavenderuniversity.
For more information, contact editor@windycitymediagroup.com or Lynnea Karlic, Center on Halsted's Director of Community and Cultural Programming, at lkarlic@centeronhalsted.org .
Windy City Times: Anne Balay at Lavender University Part 1 of 4 at the link: www.youtube.com/watch .
Windy City Times: Anne Balay at Lavender University Part 2 of 4 at the link: www.youtube.com/watch .
Windy City Times: Anne Balay at Lavender University Part 3 of 4 at the link: www.youtube.com/watch .
Windy City Times: Anne Balay at Lavender University Part 4 of 4 at the link: www.youtube.com/watch .
