A quick list of reasons why the mainstream ‘gay’ rights movement isn’t doing its job properly….
(In response to anon asking if there were any groups I like/didn’t like)
1. “Gay” Rights – The mainstream movement is focused almost completely on the concerns and problems of cisgender gay men, cisgender lesbian women and that’s pretty much it. These concerns are obviously of importance but the fact that everyone else is ignored and deleted is not okay. The ‘gay’ rights movement will not actually be serving the purpose for which it was created until it is working for everyone under the LGBTQ+ umbrella.
2. Assimilation and the ‘right’ way to be gay - The gay rights movement can be defined by this:
The mainstream gay rights groups want everyone to believe that that is what being gay looks like. For many, that is indeed the life of choice, but what about the people who, like me, have absolutely no intention of choosing that life?
The gay rights movement tries to hide us from view, it pretends we don’t exist and then, when forced to acknowledge our existence, they just shit all over us, shaming us and telling us that we’re hurting their cause. This is a view that has wormed its way into the collective consciousness of many in the gay community; it’s dangerous and damaging to EVERYONE – I can’t count the number of times I’ve been told that I should ‘act straighter’ because I might be ‘supporting the stereotype’. FUCK THAT!
3. Racism – White people run the gay rights movement and focuses almost completely on the problems faced by other gay white people. Everyone else is pushed out, ignored and shouted down and drowned out. On this point, an anon has messaged me and told me that I’ve written this point very badly. They suggested “largely white people are given credit for running the gay rights movement.” I’m sorry for this.
4. Dan Savage – and everything Dan Savage related.
5. Marriage Equality – Marriage equality is a very important issue. It affects a massive part of our community however it’s certainly not the be all and end all and I wish the mainstream movement would stop pretending like it is. It’s understandable why it was chosen to be the staple of the movement – it’s a quantifiable thing, it presents clear victories and losses depending of legislative change. When same-sex marriage is legalised, a part of me worries that, due the movement’s focus on it, there will be an idea that homophobia and heterosexism no longer exist and they most certainly will.
Personally, I have absolutely no intention of ever getting married (seriously, it will never ever ever happen) and, just occasionally, I would like to here someone from the mainstream talk about people like me.
6. ‘Debates’ with homophobes – Everyone’s opinions are not equally valid. My opinion on being gay is infinitely more important than anything a heterosexual has ever said on the topic. Let’s acknowledge this.
7. It’s okay to tell homophobes to go fuck themselves – Let’s acknowledge this.
8. If you believe homosexuality or homosexual acts are sins, you’re just wrong – There’s nothing else to it. There is no problem with saying this. Why does the gay rights movement insist on saying ‘you are entitled to your belief, you just shouldn’t put it into law’?
9. Shitty catchphrases – For example, “Homosexuality exists in 450 species; which one is unnatural now?” No one should ever need to justify their existence by comparing themself to a wild animal. Besides natural does not mean something is okay.
These are the ones I could think of in 10 minutes. There are many, many, many more.
All of this is not to say that the mainstream gay rights movement has not had victories and is not doing some good work, but it needs to get its act together!!!
