Why Gay Pride Sucks

[Supermodel From Paris]

Anyone who is like "yeah I hate those flamboyant gay guys" is missing the point.

 

[HashyDash]

the Gay Pride image is degrading, and imo, it's the reason people use the terms "thats so gay" or "no homo". it's counter productive in trying to be treated equally.

Sorry for being a little late on this one but to be fair, "that's so gay" doesn't mean "that's so man-on-man" in the literal sense. It now means "that's so stupid" and people who say it aren't even thinking of the homosexual community when they say it.

And for "no homo"... as far as I've seen it's just used as a self-defense from something that could be perceived as gay from a person who believes they aren't, rather than gay bashing; as in "Man, I love you so much right now I could kiss you; no homo."

My two-cents.

 

[Mr.Freeman]

I can't tell if the guy above me is being sarcastic or not.

I'm gonna be honest though. From a straight POV, I've found much of the same Gay Pride acts that the OP is against are indeed counter productive to the entire movement towards civil rights.

On a personal level, the only thing about gay people that's weird to me is sex between two men. It's just gross to me. All anal sex is. It just sounds painful.

Maybe that's just me.

Acrostic probably is. He praised the OP in earlier pages for writing the blog.

And anal sex can be done with opposite genders.

 

[Aegri Somnia]

I tried talking to my teacher [who's lesbian] about why Gay Pride was counter productive.

She completely missed the point and couldn't refute anything I said.

All of her arguments revolved around "it's the one day of the year people can be who they are" and "you don't understand, you're not gay."

I do understand, and a lot of homosexuals understand it's counter productive.

This blog really opened my eyes.

 

[Red Arremer]

If you feel no pride, then I suspect that you have never been fully oppressed for your sexual orientation.

I was, despite not by the state, but by my environment and father; and I still find it to be not very helpful.
The only thing I can see Gay Pride-parades making sense is actually celebrating getting more and more acceptance.

I also like HashyDash. No homo. Unless you want. :3

 

[Bassoonist]

I'm glad to see that there are people like you. I for one do not approve of homosexuality, but it doesn't mean I directly hate or dislike people who are homosexual. Most of the people that are gay who I know are into Gay Pride, PDA (people of all persuasions are into PDA, which I dislike. Your love for someone is your business, not the world's), and getting mad at everyone who isn't gay when someone says that they don't like homosexuality.

Well, yeah, sorry to have to tell you, but it is VERY annoying when somebody says "I do not approve of it". I pretty much agree with the original post here, but I do not so much with yours. I can totally understand homosexuals/bisexuals getting mad when somebody says they're against homosexuality. It's like saying "I don't like your skin color." Our sexuality is not something that we can control (notice, sexuality means sexual attraction, I think a lot of people don't understand sexuality anymore. o_O) and it itself does no real harm to anybody, so I just don't even understand all of the homophobia. It seems like it's just personal prejudice and nothing more. So I wish we could treat it as such, and keep it to ourselves. (if we're a homophobe, that is!)

Maybe then the idea of "Gay Pride" would slip away. Being a part of the LGBT I don't really care for all of the "Gay Pride" stuff, I would never join a parade. In fact I just want to be put alongside everybody else as a normal human, because that's what I am! But even though the "Gay Pride" is annoying, the amount of crap that goes on against the LGBT community all of the time is far more annoying.

 

[Pharrox]

I have to say this was a really good read.

While I don't have a problem with being gay, I never understood the gay pride thing. Like Supermodel From Paris said, be proud of yourself as a person, for what you are and what you've accomplished, not for being a part of a group that you probably had very little control over to begin with.

I myself have am into a few things that most people won't understand. I do my best to keep those things out of my everyday interactions and save it for when I'm with people who enjoy the same things. Flaunting it (or even just bringing it up) won't do anything if they don't care, and if they do it will only serve to make them annoyed or uncomfortable.

Society has has come to largely accept homosexuality these days. Those who haven't (like my parents), are only going to get more close minded on the subject given the current state of the movement. This isn't to say there shouldn't still be celebrations, but that they may be better served in less public venues.

 

[Nairo]

ew yo i do not understand this...........sike this gay

 

[frotaz37]

Originally, gay parades actually were about civil rights, but they have become a showcase of the most flamboyant the gay community has.

Exactly.

What exactly does this have to do with gay rights?

 

[TheBlossomingLily]

I myself am gay, and I don't really see the use in the Gay Pride stuff. Plenty of people already accept homosexuality. And some homosexuals even start hating on straights. I've even heard someone use the rediculous term "breeder" as an offensive term. Yeesh, might as well have Straight Pride stuff. But that would be just as pointless.

Do we still have Gay Pride stuff as a counter against the stereotypical "oh they have sex with every other gay guy they see" thing? I don't think that's needed because it's not like you really see gay couples up on the "HE/SHE CHEATED ON ME" episodes of the Maury/Jerry Springer show.

Basically what I'm saying is that gays shouldn't be ashamed NOR be so proud as to make a Parade based on themselves.

Leave the gay stuff to Meta Knight.

 

[jber4life]

I would first like to say, that I share a similar opinion to the OP.
But I think going as far as to saying the pride parade is counter-productive and "sucks" is a little harsh.

From my personal experiences with it, "Pride week" seems to be an extremely important to different people. As mentioned above, it is extremely important for people who have been forced to pretend that they aren’t gay. It is a chance for them to be completely free and they truly can be themselves. Now, you state in your post that you didn’t think being gay was a really big deal. (I agree with you, I don’t think it is a big deal either) But you have to respect that there are guys/girls out there who it is an extremely big deal for. Once again, I agree with you. I don’t think being gay is a large part of who I am as a person, and it is just as much as my personality as my favourite TV shows, and what food I like. But once again, you have to consider the homosexuals who have had their sexuality (Which shouldn’t define their personality) dictate every aspect of their life, what jobs they can get, what churches they can go to, who they can marry, ect... So obviously for people like that Pride is a great experience, and should be celebrated 110%. The only section of your post I strongly disagree with is where you talk about gay culture. Now, I don’t particularly enjoy the sleazy sex club aspect of gay culture either. But it is undeniable part of the culture despite not having the community’s full support of it. Not to mention the gay community is huge, and in that community there are so many sub-cultures, CD/TV/Leather. And those community’s use Pride as a way to get public attention that they do exist. Additionally these communities use Pride to recruit younger homosexual guys/girls, who may be uncomfortable with being attracted to or have a desire to become a TVs that there is a community for it and they are not alone.
Additionally I think you are getting Pride and Awareness extremely confused. I know for my region, we have pride week. And it is a week full of parties; we celebrate the obstacles that have been overcome. Tourists from rural areas come to celebrate with like minded people. The different sub-cultures come together and everybody has a gay ol’time (pun intended.) Pride isn’t for the mass public, it’s a celebration for the community. There is also an additional week that the LGBT community sets up an awareness week, which is set at the university, where there are Gay and Lesbian speakers, activists, film festivals and rallies, which is advertised for the public to come get a better understanding of the community. You mentioned earlier that you live in Kentucky. The university has its own LGBT club doing a similar activity.
However, I do find the entire thing over the top, and don’t 100% participate. But it definitely is not hurting the community.

 

[frotaz37]

A big problem is there are people who turn the fact that they are LBGT into a huge part of their identity. It's those who think it makes them special/unique that are killing it for everyone. Being gay is about as big of a deal as being straight, which isn't a big deal at all. It's not even a small deal, it just is.

 

[Glöwworm]

I kind of dislike it when people say "no homo."

It's like, are you so insecure with your sexuality that you have to remind people you're straight whenever you say or do something that may be perceived as gay?

I don't know... it might not be a big deal I guess...

 

[jber4life]

A big problem is there are people who turn the fact that they are LBGT into a huge part of their identity. It's those who think it makes them special/unique that are killing it for everyone. Being gay is about as big of a deal as being straight, which isn't a big deal at all. It's not even a small deal, it just is.

Hypothetical scenerio. Your a homosexual, and you grow up in a small town. You have the mentality that homosexuality isn't a big deal because it shouldnt be. Sure enough, you tell your friends and family. Your family refuses to accept you, and abandons you. Next day at school you get beaten up for being a "***." You have no friends left, and no family to turn to.

Scenerio 2- You had a supportive family, and didn't have any hate crimes. However now you have found a partner and you guys want to get married and adopt a child. Unfortunatly you live in a place where you can't get married. You see straight people get married and get divorced who dont even seem to love each other, and your denied that right just because of your sexuality. You settle to just live together. Now you try to adopt a child and raise a family. Your not allowed to, in fact you are seen as unfit parents, stricktly because your a homosexual, not because you wouldn't love your child, just because your gay.

In both those (Very common) scenerios, gay people did not define themselfs as people because of there sexuality. They wanted to live normal "Straight" lives. Yet outside sources have made it impossible for them to do that. They are being treated diffrently not because they want to, but because other factors are involved. And after those things happen to you, you start to think. Maybe being gay is a big deal. Because i cant get married, have kids, have a comfertable family life, and i'm terriefied of my peers at school.

But your right. It is no deal at all, BUT everybody in the world needs to think that. And the majority doesnt.

 

[frotaz37]

Nothing you said has anything to do with what I said, I'm not sure why you quoted it.

 

[Aegri Somnia]

Nothing you said has anything to do with what I said, I'm not sure why you quoted it.

He's saying that these parades are a means of expressing your identity and being accepted.

It's not particularly true, but it's his opinion, unless I'm mistaken.

 

[#HBC | Acrostic]

Nothing you said has anything to do with what I said, I'm not sure why you quoted it.

You are an inmate in a concentration camp. A sadistic guard is about to hang your son who tried to escape and wants you to pull the chair from underneath him. He says that if you don't he will not only kill your son but some other innocent inmate as well. You don't have any doubt that he means what he says. What should you do?

I can totally understand homosexuals/bisexuals getting mad when somebody says they're against homosexuality. It's like saying "I don't like your skin color."

This is a completely different issue than racism. When you are a born a certain race, you can't hide it from the public. Physiologically your face, height, weight, and skin color are all associated with a certain race of people. Having a given sexual orientation is a completely different story as it is not linked to being born with a big nose, breasts, or tall height.

Our sexuality is not something that we can control (notice, sexuality means sexual attraction, I think a lot of people don't understand sexuality anymore. o_O)

Homosexuals like the same sex and heterosexuals like the opposite sex. You would rather lather up some KY Jelly and stick it into another man then you would a woman. When you choose men or women, I can't help but see that as a personal choice that you decided to go for on your own initiative. The fact that you want to marry someone you find physically attractive is again a choice. The fact that you want a physical relationship with someone you physically like is yet another choice.

From your statement it's like your insinuating that gay people are the victims of their own sexual preference and are at the mercy of an uncontrollable libido that demands that they stick their junk and form relationships with people they find physically attractive. There are tons of people I find attractive, yet I can control myself to not act lewd or flirt with them and act in a perfectly objective fashion.

It seems like it's just personal prejudice and nothing more. So I wish we could treat it as such, and keep it to ourselves. (if we're a homophobe, that is!) Maybe then the idea of "Gay Pride" would slip away. Being a part of the LGBT I don't really care for all of the "Gay Pride" stuff, I would never join a parade. In fact I just want to be put alongside everybody else as a normal human, because that's what I am! But even though the "Gay Pride" is annoying, the amount of crap that goes on against the LGBT community all of the time is far more annoying.

I think that every minori-group wants to feel special regardless of how much has been done to reduce discrimination. It is one of those profound ironies where they protest that they are like everyone else and deserve the same rights, and then take pride in the fact that they are really different and not like everyone else.

 

[jber4life]

Yes it does.
You said "A big problem is there are people who turn the fact that they are LBGT into a huge part of their identity."
And i said, It's not there fault a big part of their identity is LBGT, outside forces have made it a big part of there identity because it has prevented them from living a normal life. They dont want LBGT to be a big part of there identity, but when alot of aspects of life are directly related to your sexual orientation, it does become a big part of your identity.

Then you said "Being gay is about as big of a deal as being straight, which isn't a big deal at all. It's not even a small deal, it just is." Which is correct in theory. But in reality being gay CAN be a huge deal to some people if they have had negative excperiance with other people reacting to them, so it still is a big deal, unfortuantly.

 

[GunmasterLombardi]

I can tell a lot of people dislike homosexuals strictly cause of Gay Pride. It's unfortunate.

Living in a Christian household I've realized that things against said religion are things you simply deal w/ whether you like it or not, BUT NOT TRY TO TERMINATE WHATEVER IS AGAINST WHAT YOU BELIEVE because that's not your job as any human being.

Gay pride is something I have no problem living/ being around.

 

[frotaz37]

You are an inmate in a concentration camp. A sadistic guard is about to hang your son who tried to escape and wants you to pull the chair from underneath him. He says that if you don't he will not only kill your son but some other innocent inmate as well. You don't have any doubt that he means what he says. What should you do?

What are you on?

And i said, It's not there fault a big part of their identity is LBGT, outside forces have made it a big part of there identity because it has prevented them from living a normal life.

This isn't always true, and here's why...

They dont want LBGT to be a big part of there identity, but when alot of aspects of life are directly related to your sexual orientation, it does become a big part of your identity.

There ARE people who want it to be a huge part of their identity. There are people who don't experience oppression in their lives and turn their sexuality into something they can hold onto to feel like they are unique or different or special in some way. Too much of the Gay Pride movement has turned into "Hey look at us, we're GAY ACCEPT US" rather than "Hey look at us, we are being treated unfairly and want real change."

If you want change you have to help people understand your plight and see why things need to be changed. And I'm sorry but dressing up like a clown and rollerblading around San Fransisco is not going to help. And why should it?

 

[#HBC | Acrostic]

What are you on?

A fat man leading a group of people out of a cave on a coast is stuck in the mouth of that cave. In a short time high tide will be upon them, and unless he is unstuck, they will all be drowned except the fat man, whose head is out of the cave. [But, fortunately, or unfortunately, someone has with him a stick of dynamite.] There seems no way to get the fat man loose without using [that] dynamite which will inevitably kill him; but if they do not use it everyone will drown. What should they do?

Yes it does.
You said "A big problem is there are people who turn the fact that they are LBGT into a huge part of their identity."
And i said, It's not there fault a big part of their identity is LBGT, outside forces have made it a big part of there identity because it has prevented them from living a normal life. They dont want LBGT to be a big part of there identity, but when alot of aspects of life are directly related to your sexual orientation, it does become a big part of your identity.

Then you said "Being gay is about as big of a deal as being straight, which isn't a big deal at all. It's not even a small deal, it just is." Which is correct in theory. But in reality being gay CAN be a huge deal to some people if they have had negative excperiance with other people reacting to them, so it still is a big deal, unfortuantly.

Both those examples involved people who decided to make a choice. One guy made the choice to tell his parents and in the other case the couple wanted to get a civil union or be married. The boy got turned down by his parents because he made a mistake and told his parents that he way gay. He should have known that his parents weren't going to accept him and should have stopped. There are several things that I don't believe, yet I go through in order to keep my family together. Sure it sucks to waste four hours on something you are ideologically opposed to doing, but life sucks. The kid decided that his sexual orientation was more important than keeping his family together. He broke up his family because he made a stupid choice. The married couple will just have to move to another state to get married or have a civil union before moving back. It's not impossible and if you get refused to adopt a child because of your sexual orientation, then either sue them for discrimination or find another adoption center to try again. If these people really wanted to live normal lives, then there is no need to involve complicated elements in your life. Emphasizing sexual orientation is something that both these hypothetical situations dramatically address, they are not normal in any sense of the term.

 

[Sanu]

rabble rabble rabble

 

[DTP]

A big problem is there are people who turn the fact that they are LBGT into a huge part of their identity. It's those who think it makes them special/unique that are killing it for everyone. Being gay is about as big of a deal as being straight, which isn't a big deal at all. It's not even a small deal, it just is.

I see where you're coming from. I don't know why the others didn't.....

Guys he's basically saying that your sexuality shouldn't define you as a person. It's definitely a part of who you are yeah, but some people can go so far to make sure people see who you are sexually that that's all some people see.

There's no need to be known as "the gay guy" or "the lesbian".
I'd rather be known as "the funny guy" or "the athletic guy".

That's all he's saying guys.
I think.

rabble rabble rabble

I agree.

 

[frotaz37]

I see where you're coming from. I don't know why the others didn't.....

Guys he's basically saying that your sexuality shouldn't define you as a person. It's definitely a part of who you are yeah, but some people can go so far to make sure people see who you are sexually that that's all some people see.

There's no need to be known as "the gay guy" or "the lesbian".
I'd rather be known as "the funny guy" or "the athletic guy".

That's all he's saying guys.
I think.

I'm glad somebody understands, and can say it in a way that makes sense

 

[MetalMusicMan]

I just noticed, there seem to be a lot of gay smashers... that's pretty sweet though, haha. Anyway, my thoughts on this...



I think the "Gay Pride" people that SFP points out in his original post are the same kind of people that fulfill any other stereotype and in doing so, irritate many.

It's the same as a Redneck making everyone who is from the country look bad, or a "thug" (lol I won't say it on these boards ) wearing gold chains and talking about "drugs, *****es and money" making educated black people look bad, etc. etc. etc.

Every ethnicity and/or social group has degenerates on one end of the spectrum and sadly, they ruin it for all of the "normal" people who are part of said-group but aren't ********.


I feel the same way when I go to a concert and there are a bunch of idiots punching each other in the mosh pit, just trying to hurt each other. That's ****ing ********. The mosh pit is about grooving with the other people there and pushing around, creating good vibes. Thrashing but not hurting anyone, and going out of your way to pick up those who fall, or go easy on people who are smaller than you. Sadly, a few morons ruin it for everybody when they start kicking and punching and all that other ***********.



So yeah, I agree with your assessment, it's annoying that people who are bombastically flamboyant just to get attention ruin the reputation of "normal" gay people. However, I don't think it applies to just gays. It applies to pretty much everyone that is a part of any social group/movement/race/culture/etc.

 

[frotaz37]

However, I don't think it applies to just gays. It applies to pretty much everyone that is a part of any social group/movement/race/culture/etc.

Most definitely. Jesse Jackson anyone?

 

[mountain_tiger]

I never really got flambuoyant gayness at all. More often than not, "stereotypical" gays often act overtly feminine. Now, they're supposed to be MEN that are interested in other MEN, and want to eventually find love with one of them, so why are they acting deliberately like a WOMAN? They should just act natural; they don't do themselves any favours otherwise.

That said, gay people still aren't allowed to donate blood. How stupid is that?

 

[El Nino]

I always took the pride festivals as cultural celebrations, much in the same tune as Cinco de Mayo, the Chinese Moon Festival, or New Year's Eve. I don't bust out the soap box to rain over the people throwing parties and getting ****faced in Times Square once a year, so I don't bust it out on some random queers running around in rainbow costumes once a year.

Someone else mentioned filing discrimination lawsuits as a strategy to use against unequal treatment. I just wanted to bring up the point that those cases only hold up in court because of anti-discriminatory legislation pushed through by larger political movements in the past. Without it, there would be no legal means of dealing with unequal treatment at all.

And the thing with political movements is that they are most effective when they involve large groups. This unintentionally causes the creation of a group identity. This identity can be useful in a representative democracy like the US, but it can also be problematic. As evidenced by this thread, people who can identify under the same label are also very diverse, with different cultural backgrounds and interests. Politically, the US seems to train people to think in terms of representation, as if any one person or group could completely represent anyone else. Technically, that is impossible. We can only, each of us, represent ourselves.

The group identity exists for political reasons. But I think it's possible to be both a part of a group and also an individual.

 

[Teran]

I think what a lot of people are failing to see is the flawed nature of gay PRIDE.

Hell even national pride is flawed in many ways. The whole idea of being proud of something you're born as, and not something you've achieved, is bull****.

I'm content with being gay, definitely, but I'm not proud. It's not like I killed Cerberus and made it past the gates of Hades to become gay, it was just how I was.

Definitely not an achievement so I'm not proud of it, just content.

 

[MetalMusicMan]

Yeah, national pride is also dumb. What teran said.

 

[El Nino]

Pride is almost always a reaction to something, usually systematic oppression. Removed from that context and taken independently, it would appear illogical. Granted, most cultural artifacts would also seem ridiculous when taken out of context.

Nationalism makes more sense to most people, and it is powerful as a political tool, which also makes it dangerous. I have, however, yet to see gay pride taken to a level even remotely close to what nationalism can achieve. Part of that seems to do with the diversity in the LGBT community, which seems to prevent it from becoming as cohesive as any racial or ethnic group, at least culturally. I don't think gay group identity has ever been nearly as strong as national identity.

 

[Aibou]

Not really sure what to say that hasn't already been said. And I'm not great with words, but I'll try to add to this here discussion since it's piqued my interest.


I never understood the idea behind the whole Gay Pride stuff. I mean it's like Teran said, being proud of something you're born with as opposed to something you've accomplished in life doesn't make sense. It's not really something to be proud of, it's just part of who you are as a person and you're forced to accept it whether you like it or not. I mean I had a really REALLY hard time accepting it myself, and even now after I've long since accepted it, I can't say I'm ready to jump out of my chair and celebrate it.

As to the whole cliche nonsense that makes us all look bad is just wrong. Most people automatically associate gay males with femininity, and lesbian females with masculinity, when in reality that isn't always the case. But the thing is, there are a lot of people who follow those stereotypes, causing people to overlook those who are just regular males/females despite their sexual preference.

Now about Gay Pride weekend. I don't know much about it at all because I never cared for it. But from what I read here and have heard, it just sounds like a bunch of pointless parties and festivals that do absolutely nothing to increase respect for us. Not that we should get any special respect or disrespect. We are no different from the rest of the world after all...

 

[Teran]

Pride is almost always a reaction to something, usually systematic oppression. Removed from that context and taken independently, it would appear illogical. Granted, most cultural artifacts would also seem ridiculous when taken out of context.

Nationalism makes more sense to most people, and it is powerful as a political tool, which also makes it dangerous. I have, however, yet to see gay pride taken to a level even remotely close to what nationalism can achieve. Part of that seems to do with the diversity in the LGBT community, which seems to prevent it from becoming as cohesive as any racial or ethnic group, at least culturally. I don't think gay group identity has ever been nearly as strong as national identity.

Just because a feeling is strong and commonplace doesn't make it any less moronic.

I don't care if it's a reaction to oppression or whatever, I still get some stick for being gay, but whatever it doesn't bother me and I live my life just fine.

If people need to show that they're proud of something imo it's more a show of insecurity.

Pride is one of humanity's biggest weaknesses.

 

[jivegamer]

Some thinkers like Gore Vidal insist that really, we're all bi-sexuals with different degrees of attraction to either men or women. I think if we thought about sexuality more or less in those terms, it really probably wouldn't be such a big deal. Frankly, I just think that the physical act of sex is itself the big deal, not so much who it's done with.

 

[deepseadiva]

I think what a lot of people are failing to see is the flawed nature of gay PRIDE.

Hell even national pride is flawed in many ways. The whole idea of being proud of something you're born as, and not something you've achieved, is bull****.

I'm content with being gay, definitely, but I'm not proud. It's not like I killed Cerberus and made it past the gates of Hades to become gay, it was just how I was.

Definitely not an achievement so I'm not proud of it, just content.

Gay pride, racial pride, and nationalism all stem from strength. Mainly strength through oppression.

There weren't 12 trails to go through to become gay because being gay is those 12 trails. Living through pain, the act of surviving, is strength. Strength is something to be prideful of.

Though I agree: world needs less pride.

 

[Falconv1.0]

Just because a feeling is strong and commonplace doesn't make it any less moronic.

I don't care if it's a reaction to oppression or whatever, I still get some stick for being gay, but whatever it doesn't bother me and I live my life just fine.

If people need to show that they're proud of something imo it's more a show of insecurity.

Pride is one of humanity's biggest weaknesses.

Don't you ever stop making posts like this. If you do, I'll hurt myself.

 

[El Nino]

If people need to show that they're proud of something imo it's more a show of insecurity.

I half agree. I wouldn't call it a show of insecurity though. I think that people show pride when they are at a disadvantage. It's an effort to find strength by banding together, and the people who rely on such measures are usually not the ones who are the most empowered within a society.

It's like people flying the Mexican flag during Cinco de Mayo. And you're bound to see more of those flags pop up after the attention given to recent immigration laws passed in the US. It's really just a form of expression that comes from feeling like you are under attack. Even if you are an activist and working to change the current situation, sometimes doing a little thing like that can help relieve some psychological pressure.

But things would be better if you didn't need to do it at all because that would mean that you aren't under attack.

It's to be expected that once a community gains more visibility and acceptance, there might be less of a need for pride. But everyone experiences things differently. You might not need it, but there are people out there who do. Most likely, those people come from different circumstances than you.

And for those that don't, it's probably just a cultural expression. For whatever reason, I don't find it as damaging as people seem to think. It's just the same as any other subculture, whether you're a punk or a neo-hippie.

But the thing is, there are a lot of people who follow those stereotypes, causing people to overlook those who are just regular males/females despite their sexual preference.

Well, maybe they're not deliberately following those stereotypes. Maybe that's just the way some people are. It may be wrong for someone to think that you are the same way, but it isn't any more right for you to tell someone else to stop being themselves.

Now about Gay Pride weekend. I don't know much about it at all because I never cared for it. But from what I read here and have heard, it just sounds like a bunch of pointless parties and festivals that do absolutely nothing to increase respect for us.

Pointless festival, yes. But so is Mardi Gras. And the upcoming Fourth of July. I don't think it's a gay thing. I think people just like pointless festivals. It's an excuse to be...festive.

I missed the pride events in my area because I work weekends. I didn't even know it was coming up until I was in the city one day to meet a friend. And then I realized that there were a lot more rainbow flags hanging around. I mean, that's to be expected, there are always rainbow flags hanging around, but it was more than usual. And then it clicked in my head: "Wait, is Gay Pride Day this month?" (Because I never know what month it is. Ever.)

I know a lot of people criticize flamboyancy and the parades and all. But from the ground, it's not as bad as it seems. I don't know why. I think it's because once you see it up close, you realize that it's all just a stage, much like Mardi Gras or the Doo Dah Parade or Burning Man or whatever. People are deliberately acting out some character just for fun. So I guess I just take it as personal self-expression rather than anything else.

Random question, anyone else here ever been to a pride event? Good or bad experience for you? By the responses so far, I'm presuming bad, but I'm still curious.

 

[Teran]

Gay pride, racial pride, and nationalism all stem from strength. Mainly strength through oppression.

There weren't 12 trails to go through to become gay because being gay is those 12 trails. Living through pain, the act of surviving, is strength. Strength is something to be prideful of.

Dude...

That is so ****ing gay.

Be proud of your STRENGTH, that's the achievement then. God people these days they have no idea. Plus being gay really isn't a trial anymore.

You might not need it, but there are people out there who do. Most likely, those people come from different circumstances than you.

And for those that don't, it's probably just a cultural expression. For whatever reason, I don't find it as damaging as people seem to think. It's just the same as any other subculture, whether you're a punk or a neo-hippie.

Well their different circumstances gave them flawed logic. Different circumstances give people the false knowledge that ****** newborns will cure you of HIV, so they do that in Africa.

Totally okay though because these different circumstances gave them this idea they need to CLING ONTO for HOPE and STRENGTH, because they can't just sit back and look at it how it is.

It's because of nonsense like this that social progress has always been painfully slower than technological progress.

 

[highfive]

Dude...

That is so ****ing gay.

Totally sigging this.

And yeah, the flamboyant gay people (I feel weird if I say homosexual) do kinda annoy me but the ones who don't care and just are gay are fine by me.

 

[SuperBowser]

I think the word ''pride'' has different connotations to different people here. I've always thought of it the way El Nino is using it.

Personally I think the parade is good. Could it be less flamboyant? Sure. But whatever.