My short answer would be.. no. No it hasn't gone too far. But that wouldn't make for a very convincing or informative argument now would it. So here's my long version...
The first time I heard someone say this I was shocked. How did they
think that?! Its people celebrating being themselves? But turns out... quite a
lot of people think this. Granted, a lot of them are of the older generation,
but still it’s quite a hefty number.
The word "Flamboyant" is used to describe gays lot. Gays are too
"Flamboyant". Before I explain why this is so insulting to hear, I’m
going to take it back to the sixties where gay pride started.
Picture this... New York City, June 28th 1969, it was illegal to display
"homosexuality" in public, for pubs and bars to serve gay people and
for two people of the same sex to dance together. Men could be immediately
arrested for wearing drag and women for wearing less than three pieces of
feminine clothing. Folk had felt so pushed out and unwanted within the city
that three years prior, in 1966, the Stonewall Inn opened and soon became
known as the place where everyone, regardless of identity or sexual
orientation, was allowed to be themselves, dance, drink and have a good time
without being judged. A place of solace.
However, on this certain night, the police decided, despite already
being paid off to ignore the fact they were illegally selling alcohol to
homosexuals, that they would raid the bar with a warrant. The plan was to arrest everyone
inside the bar, however their squad cars didn't show up. So this meant that
the Stonewall patrons were forced to wait outside the bar in handcuffs. Don’t
forget, they were living in an anti-gay era, so this is not only embarrassing
but very dangerous. They then started to fight back and shout things like
"Gay power!" and "Free us!". This of course drew in a crowd of people. At one point,
an officer hit a lesbian over the head and forced her into the back of his car,
she shouted to onlookers to do something. People then started to throw anything
they could find; Pennies, bottles, stones. The crowd soon reached hundreds... a
full blown riot erupted forcing ten police officers to barricade themselves
inside the stonewall. The crowd then set fire to the barricade. Gay power
indeed!
This soon became known as the Stonewall Riots, sparking a global
movement. June is now known as gay pride month and is celebrated all over the
world. In 2016, President Barack Obama designated the site of the riots, The
Stonewall Inn, Christopher Park and the surrounding streets, a national
monument in recognition of the area’s contribution to gay and human rights.
Another reason Obama is a legend. Thanks to that one event , we now march once a year to celebrate how far we have come.
Now just imagine, for two minutes, that if none of that happened and
either you, or your friends, or family member, had to risk being sent to
prison just to go somewhere they felt safe and where they belonged. That is so
sad to me. I lived on Stanley Street in Liverpool, one of the main roads in
"Gay Town" and I remember sitting by window watching the drag queens
outside of superstar boudoir thinking how amazing it is that this is a thing!
They can do that, and not only can they do that, they can do it whilst feeling
safe and without any risk of being arrested! You can openly say "I'm going
to heaven (a gay bar) tonight" without fear someone would tell the police,
getting you and your friends arrested. Now, I don't know about you but that is
a cause for celebration if I ever heard one.
People celebrate EVERYTHING. Birthdays, graduations, good grades, end of
a school year, a new kitchen, fucking hell people even just celebrate the fact
that it's a Friday... so calm the fuck down and let us celebrate the fact we
can freely show our sexuality without being repressed, ridiculed or arrested.
I often hear people saying things like "I'm okay with people being
gay, but just don't shove it in my face"... so in other words you're okay
with it until you're reminded of it. "I'll let it slide as long as I don't
see it". Which is absurd, and quite frankly hypercritical. I recently had
a conversation with a co-worker where I had been in the building about 4 minutes
before he said "have you seen the new manager upstairs... I would love to
sit on her face". Which I was okay with, until he later said he doesn't
like gays rubbing their sexuality in his face???? Surely you telling me you
want to put your dick in someone’s mouth are rubbing your sexuality in mine and
other people’s faces? No?? Why do straight people always feel victimised or
disgusted when they see gay PDA? Heterosexuality is everywhere. Children grow
up with heterosexuality shoved in their faces 24/7 without a choice. Adverts,
school books, TV, games, songs, food packaging... it's literally everywhere.
Now I’m not saying this is wrong but don't get offended when a same sex couple
do the same.
People say that the actual celebration has gone too far. Too sexual, too
provocative. There are so many debates about why the marches are like this now,
but honestly, the simple answer (sometimes) is because we can. And I mean that
in the least cocky way possible. You know when you're 16/17 and drinking and
have to hide it... and as soon as you're 18 you walk up to the bar and smugly
flick out you ID whether they ask for it or not. You get hammered and you take
advantage of the fact that you can do this legally with no consequences!! It’s
a big thing right? I remember turning 18 and mannnnnnn
did I go overboard. Passport flying all over the gaff, bought half of spoons a
Jager bomb, went to the bar for people even when I didn't need to! Just because I
COULD! Now imagine that being your sexuality. You've hidden it for so long
that now you're finally out and have your freedom, you go nuts. You're free to
be who you are with no consequences, around people who don't judge you. You're
running to the bar with your ID printed on A1 paper, laminated, around your god
damn neck ready to buy everyone you know a double vodka and a sourz.
While I do agree that a lot of pride parades are very sexual and contain
costumes, floats or signs that SOME may find inappropriate, I think it’s
important to remember that they are supposed to be for the enjoyment of gay
adults who are celebrating their sexuality, not children. And if you are silly
enough to think gay pride has ever been advertised as FOR children, then that's
just bad judgment on your part. "Straight Pride" (We'll get onto that
in a minute) would also be for the enjoyment of straight adults celebrating
their sexuality. Would anyone ever say they were being to sexual if it ever became a thing?
"Well we don't have straight pride, so why do we have gay
pride?"
I'm not going to dwell on this for too long or waste any of my time
explaining every single reason why this is wrong. As much as I could... it's
just really not worth my time. There is only so much one can be educated. If you
don't know why this is an absurd thought right of the bat then you're either incredibly ignorant
or just plain backwards. So to put it simply... the average straight person
will most likely never come across a time in their life where they have to
explain, defend or fight for their sexuality. Whereas, someone who is not
straight will most likely have to do that for a large portion of their lives. Yes, it its
vastly more accepted now, but there will always be the Donald Trumps and Ann Widdecombes of the world. Another MASSIVE reason is that straight people have never and
will ever go to prison for being straight. Gay people have been and in some
countries still are, being stoned or sentenced to life in prison just for being
gay. So, in short... Straight people don't really have much to celebrate. The
LGBT+ community have overcame a lot... let us celebrate.
Personally, I honestly adore gay pride. My last was the best. I have never really
"came out", only to close friends and then it was just sort of a
known thing. But last year’s pride weekend (2017) a lot more people knew, I was
single and I had also fallen for a girl and was lucky enough to spend some of
my pride celebration with her. Nothing ever came of that but it was still very
special. Another reason was because a lot of my close friends had came out that
year, I had spoken out A LOT about gay rights and what they mean to me and it
had become a massive part of my life. So being at pride meant a lot. You see
people going to their first pride weekend, or people that have JUST came out,
people that go just to be supportive, people that have been out for years and
are getting married but most of all you just see happy people. It sounds so
cheesy but everyone is just happy. It really is just a roller-coaster of
emotions. The Sunday morning after my Saturday night at pride, I was in work
(very hungover) and I was just beaming. I felt like I was floating. Ludicrous,
I know. But I was literally skipping around work grinning from ear to ear. Now
tell me how you can be against something that gives happiness like that to
someone.
Gay prides still serve a massive purpose!! Shouting the message that "We're here,
we're queer, there's A LOT of us, we're not ashamed of who we are, and we
deserve to be treated equally" is still massively important! Gay relationships are still criminalised
in 72 countries and in 8 countries it is still punishable by death! So you may
think gay pride is too in your face... but don't you think it needs to be?
I'm going to stop rambling now because I could go on forever and there
will undoubtedly be more posts on similar or expanding topics so I’ll save it
for then! That being said... I will leave you with some quotes from friends of
my mine on why gay pride is still necessary and what it means to them:
"I'm not out to my parents, or even some of my friends. So pride
weekend truly is an escape. I can drop the act and just be me wthout thinking I’m
being looked at. It's pure relief." - Anonymous
"Of course there is the typical cookie cut answer to this, which is both totally true and still needed today. Which is, well... To have "pride" within ourselves, no matter ones sexuality or gender (if they so feel they have one).it's a place to stand hand in hand with all corners of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as our straight allies. It's a place to feel safe, have fun and to betaken seriously with no judgment. Just like any cause, we need to show the bigoted and the uneducated that we can be taken seriously (that be in a three piece suit or leather hot pants). Pride ins't just a parade in the city center, it's an everyday life." - Jamie Dean
"Gay pride is so important to me because it shows young people struggling with who they are that they can live freely & proudly." - Kyran Wright
"To me, gay pride is every day. But the gay pride marches and the
gay pride weekend are reminders that there still a fight to be fought."
- Lisa U
"Gay pride is important because without it, how would young queer
folk know its okay to come out? I don't think straight people know 1. How hard
it can be to come out and 2. How many people do just that BECAUSE of gay
pride." - David / Lady D
"It's only recently that gay marriage has even been allowed and there are still people who think "well gay people are icky". It's good because it mainly serves as a constant incessant reminder that LGBT people are, like, 10% of the population and we exist, y'know. Soon as we stop standing up and yelling at the world to treat us like human beings, they're just gonna go back to the 60's asshole right wing sensibilities." - Dylan Dunkerley
Let’s all just love each other okay?
Until next time, Cass x
