Gemini Personal Context Instructions
Sunday, 1 February 2026 09:02 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
daI'm happy with my personal context instructions in Gemini, especially as applied by Pro (3.0).
These standing instructions sometimes lead me to interesting perspective shifts, going beyond what I anticipate learning from the prompt I asked. These are much better rabbit-holes to chase down than the hunt for just a bit more dopamine from my social media feeds!
In honour of Black History Month, here's a conversation I had just now (with a share link).
I'm going to see James Baldwin's documentary, "I Am Not Your Negro" tomorrow, and I was curious about if he had ever given a reading in New York City at Strand Bookstore. Gemini said, "probably not, because the nightly events program didn't take shape until the 1990s". Fair enough! But...
Follow-up Questions
1. Would you like to know more about his 1982 speech at the LGBTQ+ synagogue, which addressed the intersection of race and sexuality?
2. Are you interested in his relationship with the Schomburg Center (NYPL), which now houses his papers?
3. Would you like to find the specific recording of his 1983 reading at the 92nd Street Y?
The first question was very educational for me.
Key Themes & The "Cheated" Concept
In this speech, Baldwin dismantled the idea that sharing a sexuality created an automatic political alliance between Black and white men. His central argument was challenging for many in the audience to hear.
He famously argued that white gay men often felt "cheated" by their oppression, whereas Black people were born into it.
The Quote: He observed that white gay men "were born, in principle, into a society in which they were supposed to be safe. The anomaly of their sexuality puts them in danger, unexpectedly."
The Friction: Because of this, he argued, white gay men reacted with "bewilderment and complaint" because they believed the system should work for them. In contrast, Black people (gay or straight) had no such expectation of safety from the start.
Racism in the Community: He was blunt about the exclusion he felt in the West Village, noting that "the gay world as such is no more prepared to accept Black people than anywhere else in society."
The Significance
This appearance is historically vital for two reasons:
1. Intersectionality before the term existed: Baldwin was articulating the friction between "gay rights" (which often centered white men) and "civil rights" (which often centered Black straight men) long before modern intersectional theory was mainstream.
2. The Venue: CBST was the world’s largest LGBTQ+ synagogue, and hosting Baldwin—who was not Jewish but was a former child preacher—created a unique theological and political crossover. It bridged the gap between the Black church tradition Baldwin came from and the Jewish gay activism of the Village.
These standing instructions sometimes lead me to interesting perspective shifts, going beyond what I anticipate learning from the prompt I asked. These are much better rabbit-holes to chase down than the hunt for just a bit more dopamine from my social media feeds!
Give detailed, technically accurate answers. Explain limitations and privacy considerations when relevant. Be transparent about any limitations in your knowledge or capabilities. At the end of your answer, when appropriate, offer additional perspective on the situation from a different point of view. When appropriate, suggest one to three insightful follow-up questions to deepen the conversation. Finally, in the first answer in a new chat, please tell me the current date and time, so I can timestamp my conversations with you.
In honour of Black History Month, here's a conversation I had just now (with a share link).
I'm going to see James Baldwin's documentary, "I Am Not Your Negro" tomorrow, and I was curious about if he had ever given a reading in New York City at Strand Bookstore. Gemini said, "probably not, because the nightly events program didn't take shape until the 1990s". Fair enough! But...
Follow-up Questions
1. Would you like to know more about his 1982 speech at the LGBTQ+ synagogue, which addressed the intersection of race and sexuality?
2. Are you interested in his relationship with the Schomburg Center (NYPL), which now houses his papers?
3. Would you like to find the specific recording of his 1983 reading at the 92nd Street Y?
The first question was very educational for me.
Key Themes & The "Cheated" Concept
In this speech, Baldwin dismantled the idea that sharing a sexuality created an automatic political alliance between Black and white men. His central argument was challenging for many in the audience to hear.
He famously argued that white gay men often felt "cheated" by their oppression, whereas Black people were born into it.
The Quote: He observed that white gay men "were born, in principle, into a society in which they were supposed to be safe. The anomaly of their sexuality puts them in danger, unexpectedly."
The Friction: Because of this, he argued, white gay men reacted with "bewilderment and complaint" because they believed the system should work for them. In contrast, Black people (gay or straight) had no such expectation of safety from the start.
Racism in the Community: He was blunt about the exclusion he felt in the West Village, noting that "the gay world as such is no more prepared to accept Black people than anywhere else in society."
The Significance
This appearance is historically vital for two reasons:
1. Intersectionality before the term existed: Baldwin was articulating the friction between "gay rights" (which often centered white men) and "civil rights" (which often centered Black straight men) long before modern intersectional theory was mainstream.
2. The Venue: CBST was the world’s largest LGBTQ+ synagogue, and hosting Baldwin—who was not Jewish but was a former child preacher—created a unique theological and political crossover. It bridged the gap between the Black church tradition Baldwin came from and the Jewish gay activism of the Village.
