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a big gay rant
Jun. 9th, 2019 03:08 pmsooooooooooo I have rant
In recent years, more straight people go to Pride events than queer people (at least here, which is all I'm talking about). And like this isn't an observation it's like a recorded thing, and it's not just a little thing it's like... Pride has become some kind of weird straight party time.
Sure they're flying rainbow flags and whatever, but it's about as meaningful as St Patrick's Day. There are articles and stuff in local news sites and papers and mags and stuff like "10 best local places to go for pride!" and it's like... corporate places that are doing something they'd always do but slapping a rainbow on it. Seriously there's not a SINGLE mention of local queer business. And there's a lot of gay businesses here, a lot of them perfectly straight-friendly, who are doing Pride things. I mean, they're all doing Pride things. It's Pride.
Even our homophobic neighbor went to Pride and showed it off on facebook, all like "Time to party!!!!!1" when she openly hates gay people and encourages conversion therapy and stuff. It's become THAT straight-focused that anti-gay people are celebrating "Pride" now.
It like really really really really bothers me that Pride has become some kind of toy or accessory for straight people. Like, it's not only annoying but it's sad. If I think about it too much I literally tear up. Like right now kinda lol. I mean I haven't shed a full-fledged tear over it yet but I'm still properly upset.
I don't even personally participate in Pride stuff because I'm an unsocial shut-in who is afraid of leaving the house, but it still means something to me and is something I support, and that meaning being taken away to turn it into ... this... is just... ugh.
It reminds me of how there was an article in a local mag a little while back about why we should allow straight people in gay bars. And it's a response to a backlash against gay bars literally just becoming hangouts for straight women. And I saw a lot of my friends actually supporting the article, claiming that we should allow straight people because gay bars should be a "safe space" and it's like... that's... not even what 'safe space' means...??????? Like... it's literally supposed to be a place where gay people can go and know they're away from being treated differently by straight people, and that includes being treated like zoo animals who are fun to go watch because they're not straight.
It's not that straight people are completely unwelcome or should be unallowed. Straight people can come with their gay friends, or if for some reason they really want to support the business alone. Straight people can come for a number of reasons, and that's perfectly fine. They're allowed! It's just that it's perfectly normal and honestly expected to frown upon and discourage straight people coming to gay bars solely for the novelty. Queer people and queer culture are not a novelty. And a safe space is no longer a safe space when it's frequented by people treating it as such.
And now all of Pride is becoming a straight novelty. Young queer people (oh god I am old) these days are following that new-age accept-everyone-and-everything-no-matter-what kind of mentality where any kind of exclusion for any reason is """"bad"""" and we shouldn't be critical or thoughtful about anything, just ACCEPT everything. Young queer people are uninterested in queer history and are trying to push older queer people out of queer spaces. They don't treat older queer people as mentors, but as nuisances. I've seen young people heckling older people in bars, calling them "grandpa" and telling them to go home. And I go to a gay bar like less than once a year. And if I'm encountering this stuff, it's got to be commonplace (and according to other people, it definitely is). The older generations are no longer reaching out to the younger generations because they're rejected. And people are forgetting important history.
So somehow this rant became "kids these days" but yeah. Straight people are ransacking and appropriating queer culture, and the younger generations are encouraging it and it's just............... SUGH.
In recent years, more straight people go to Pride events than queer people (at least here, which is all I'm talking about). And like this isn't an observation it's like a recorded thing, and it's not just a little thing it's like... Pride has become some kind of weird straight party time.
Sure they're flying rainbow flags and whatever, but it's about as meaningful as St Patrick's Day. There are articles and stuff in local news sites and papers and mags and stuff like "10 best local places to go for pride!" and it's like... corporate places that are doing something they'd always do but slapping a rainbow on it. Seriously there's not a SINGLE mention of local queer business. And there's a lot of gay businesses here, a lot of them perfectly straight-friendly, who are doing Pride things. I mean, they're all doing Pride things. It's Pride.
Even our homophobic neighbor went to Pride and showed it off on facebook, all like "Time to party!!!!!1" when she openly hates gay people and encourages conversion therapy and stuff. It's become THAT straight-focused that anti-gay people are celebrating "Pride" now.
It like really really really really bothers me that Pride has become some kind of toy or accessory for straight people. Like, it's not only annoying but it's sad. If I think about it too much I literally tear up. Like right now kinda lol. I mean I haven't shed a full-fledged tear over it yet but I'm still properly upset.
I don't even personally participate in Pride stuff because I'm an unsocial shut-in who is afraid of leaving the house, but it still means something to me and is something I support, and that meaning being taken away to turn it into ... this... is just... ugh.
It reminds me of how there was an article in a local mag a little while back about why we should allow straight people in gay bars. And it's a response to a backlash against gay bars literally just becoming hangouts for straight women. And I saw a lot of my friends actually supporting the article, claiming that we should allow straight people because gay bars should be a "safe space" and it's like... that's... not even what 'safe space' means...??????? Like... it's literally supposed to be a place where gay people can go and know they're away from being treated differently by straight people, and that includes being treated like zoo animals who are fun to go watch because they're not straight.
It's not that straight people are completely unwelcome or should be unallowed. Straight people can come with their gay friends, or if for some reason they really want to support the business alone. Straight people can come for a number of reasons, and that's perfectly fine. They're allowed! It's just that it's perfectly normal and honestly expected to frown upon and discourage straight people coming to gay bars solely for the novelty. Queer people and queer culture are not a novelty. And a safe space is no longer a safe space when it's frequented by people treating it as such.
And now all of Pride is becoming a straight novelty. Young queer people (oh god I am old) these days are following that new-age accept-everyone-and-everything-no-matter-what kind of mentality where any kind of exclusion for any reason is """"bad"""" and we shouldn't be critical or thoughtful about anything, just ACCEPT everything. Young queer people are uninterested in queer history and are trying to push older queer people out of queer spaces. They don't treat older queer people as mentors, but as nuisances. I've seen young people heckling older people in bars, calling them "grandpa" and telling them to go home. And I go to a gay bar like less than once a year. And if I'm encountering this stuff, it's got to be commonplace (and according to other people, it definitely is). The older generations are no longer reaching out to the younger generations because they're rejected. And people are forgetting important history.
So somehow this rant became "kids these days" but yeah. Straight people are ransacking and appropriating queer culture, and the younger generations are encouraging it and it's just............... SUGH.
