@Her Grace: To explain: Yes, they're made by AA, a company with whom I have issues. On the one hand, their owner is a skeeze. On the other, they make their clothes without sweatshop labour, and while I find most of them rather horrible, at least I know the workers were well-paid.
Grammatically, the shirt may be a mess. Gay people are not illegal, nor is queerness our sole identity. But it gives the option to elaborate: "legalize gay...marriage" or "legalize gay...adoption" or "legalize gay...tax rights." I can think of so many nouns to go after the adjective that I find these shirts enjoyable and conversation starters, especially in my small town in Virginia.
not to burst anyone's bubble, but I don't see too much color here... aside from the occasional non-white person, I see maybe... token gestures at "diversity."
Until I see POC/non-White LGBTQI people represented more fully in the gay marriage debate, I'm not impressed.
Also, I think the American Apparel "legalize gay" shirts are stupid because:
1) they support a "faux-liberal" company that gladly objectifies and sexualizes women and youth- yes, it's just a shirt, but as consumer citizens, we vote with our dollars, and those dollars support patriarchal notions of women's and youths' sexuality.
2) "gay" so... Gay people are illegal? Or does it refer to gay marriage? Either way, it is problematic because it is on the same level as referring to gay individuals as "gays," thus assuming that their sexual orientation is the entirety of their identity. You don't refer to a Black person as "a Black"- why would you refer to gay people as "a gay?"
@aconerlycoleman: i will definitely not argue with the fact that the modern mainstream lgbtq movement often defers itself to organizations that are non-inclusive (such as the hrc) and allows white males to be the face of the movement. it is a problem. BUT, it is also unfair to make that judgement about this march on 12 photos.
it is pretty condescending to say that the few poc you see in those twelve pictures (which are hardly representative of the march) are merely tokens at diversity. this isnt a republican fundraising convention. lgbtq poc have just as much (if not more) at stake as white lgbtq. no one was bussed in and forced to stand next to white people for the camera; every poc who was there was there for the exact same reason as the white marchers, because they want equal protection under the law regardless of sexual orientation. while white men may have the privilege of being the face of the movement, they are in no way representative of it and to imply that the poc who took to the streets today were tokens is to deny their agency. if you want to see representations of poc in the gay community then you should have been there today. MANY poc were marching in the rank-and-file (many more than these pictures would suggest, esp. considering half of them are not crowd scenes). and the organizers obviously had the diversity of the gay community in mind when they planned the thing. there were over 30 people who delivered speeches in front of the capital and they represented a wide and inclusive range of racial/gender/religious/class identities.
you raise good points, there needs to be a greater effort by mainstream gay activists to include poc AND transgendered people, but your criticisms ring hollow because you're resting on preconceived notions and not actually critiquing this event in particular. you're never going to be impressed unless you bother to look.
although i totally agree about the legalize gay shirts. i hated how many people were wearing them.
There was also a really great moment where the NEM and a breast cancer march crossed paths, and the two groups clapped and cheered for each other. I wish I had gotten a picture. There was a lot of pink going on in downtown DC this afternoon!
I was there! One of the best parts was at the beginning when everybody cheered at the rainbow that hovered over our heads. It was a good way to spend my birthday. :)
Looks beautiful! I wish I could have been there. But I can't help but get angry at the same time, that whatever DC voters say may or may not matter, depending on the whims of Congress.
I have cousins that live in DC and they'll confirm the fact that sometimes it totally sucks to have no say in national politics. It's pretty much a political no man's land - actually they call it "political purgatory." But at the same time, I think DCers have an especially important/interesting role in passing legislation if only by protesting and voicing their opinions. I just really hope that they're finally given a vote in Congress (and the funny thing about that is how Republicans are willing to give DC a congressman so long as Utah gets one more).
@JessickerFletcher: I only get so angry because I lived there for ten years. :) And my father would argue that I shouldn't get pissed off that I paid the same federal taxes as every other American citizen for no voice in Congress, because members of Congress live in DC and therefore must care about its interests. Ha. (As you probably know through your cousins, DC's lone Congresswomen gets to vote, but her vote is disqualified if it makes a difference. Seriously.)
Assuming that all men would be sleazy creeps in a lesbian club is kind of like assuming that all women are sluts who just want it. I don't like this at all.
@amowls: True, but the type of guys who would basically crash a lesbian party to which they haven't been invited might be sleazier than a random dude who is hanging out with his friends at a lesbian club.
It is a major concern that heterosexual males will attend the Pinkalicious event in the hope they can achieve their desire for a sexual experience with multiple women."
That this has to be spelled out is disturbing.
Has Ms Price that choice is a fundamental aspect of democracy? The Pinkalicious pussy posse isn't trying to institutionalize segregation; just choosing their audience, according to terms for the best possible outcome.
Unbelievable. I really don't get how "men might pester the women for sex" is not understood as a critical distinguishing factor between the two cases of alleged exclusion. *headthumps Sue Price*
I'm not the kind of queer girl who would probably go to a bar/dance that banned men all the time, but I'd go sometimes. I'm not sure how I feel about it, but I might go.
I completely understand what these ladies are talking about. I am quite feminine. I'm a girly queer, hence the name. I am also totally lipstick, and love feminine girls. I cannot TELL you the number of times I've been out with a girl and men have skeezed us out, made comments, stared, asked us for threesomes, and all manner of incredibly fratboy behavior. In most men's worlds, lesbians are either pretending to be men, or some sort of coquette that really wants to go home with them, and is just teasing him by kissing girls. It's disturbing. And it can ruin your night.
It's sad that they even had to ban men, but in my experience, they are probably right.
Hana Maru promoted this comment
Edited by GirlyQ is a manta ray at 07/22/09 6:27 PM
GirlyQ is a manta ray was starred
GirlyQ is a manta ray was unstarred
@girlyQ: It all comes down to respect (or a lack thereof). I feel the same way about obnoxious bachelorette parties at gay men's clubs. Only with the bachelorette situation, the gay men are more likely to have someone yell "Woooo!" in their face whilst waving a penis-straw than get sexually assaulted, so it is partially a safety issue.
@Cerridwen: I think it's really strange the way straight women seem to fetishize having a gay friend. Or going to gay bars. Or what have you. it's just not as sexual as guys and lesbians.
@girlyQ: MOST men? Or do you mean most young, single guys that watch too much porno? Those of us that have been around a few years, and have had a more than a few lesbian friends, don't think like this. Fratboyism is not the norm.
@token_illiterate_commenter: Most men I've been around at the bar scene. You're right, that wasn't fair, just built on my negative experiences. I've known plenty of nice straight men.
10/12/09
10/12/09
Grammatically, the shirt may be a mess. Gay people are not illegal, nor is queerness our sole identity. But it gives the option to elaborate: "legalize gay...marriage" or "legalize gay...adoption" or "legalize gay...tax rights." I can think of so many nouns to go after the adjective that I find these shirts enjoyable and conversation starters, especially in my small town in Virginia.
10/12/09
10/11/09
Until I see POC/non-White LGBTQI people represented more fully in the gay marriage debate, I'm not impressed.
Also, I think the American Apparel "legalize gay" shirts are stupid because:
1) they support a "faux-liberal" company that gladly objectifies and sexualizes women and youth- yes, it's just a shirt, but as consumer citizens, we vote with our dollars, and those dollars support patriarchal notions of women's and youths' sexuality.
2) "gay" so... Gay people are illegal? Or does it refer to gay marriage? Either way, it is problematic because it is on the same level as referring to gay individuals as "gays," thus assuming that their sexual orientation is the entirety of their identity. You don't refer to a Black person as "a Black"- why would you refer to gay people as "a gay?"
Just saying.
10/12/09
it is pretty condescending to say that the few poc you see in those twelve pictures (which are hardly representative of the march) are merely tokens at diversity. this isnt a republican fundraising convention. lgbtq poc have just as much (if not more) at stake as white lgbtq. no one was bussed in and forced to stand next to white people for the camera; every poc who was there was there for the exact same reason as the white marchers, because they want equal protection under the law regardless of sexual orientation. while white men may have the privilege of being the face of the movement, they are in no way representative of it and to imply that the poc who took to the streets today were tokens is to deny their agency. if you want to see representations of poc in the gay community then you should have been there today. MANY poc were marching in the rank-and-file (many more than these pictures would suggest, esp. considering half of them are not crowd scenes). and the organizers obviously had the diversity of the gay community in mind when they planned the thing. there were over 30 people who delivered speeches in front of the capital and they represented a wide and inclusive range of racial/gender/religious/class identities.
you raise good points, there needs to be a greater effort by mainstream gay activists to include poc AND transgendered people, but your criticisms ring hollow because you're resting on preconceived notions and not actually critiquing this event in particular. you're never going to be impressed unless you bother to look.
although i totally agree about the legalize gay shirts. i hated how many people were wearing them.
10/11/09
10/11/09
10/12/09
10/11/09
I've officially watched too much Arrested Development when I wanted to chant "We're here, we're queer, we wanna get married on the ocean!"
10/11/09
10/11/09
10/11/09
10/11/09
10/11/09
10/11/09
@dcdulce:
10/12/09
However, something tells me plenty of homophobic people would be fine if interracial marriage was banned, too.
10/11/09
I was there! One of the best parts was at the beginning when everybody cheered at the rainbow that hovered over our heads. It was a good way to spend my birthday. :)
10/11/09
10/11/09
Damn you for destroying America, guys.
10/11/09
10/11/09
I have cousins that live in DC and they'll confirm the fact that sometimes it totally sucks to have no say in national politics. It's pretty much a political no man's land - actually they call it "political purgatory." But at the same time, I think DCers have an especially important/interesting role in passing legislation if only by protesting and voicing their opinions. I just really hope that they're finally given a vote in Congress (and the funny thing about that is how Republicans are willing to give DC a congressman so long as Utah gets one more).
10/11/09
07/23/09
Assuming that all men would be sleazy creeps in a lesbian club is kind of like assuming that all women are sluts who just want it. I don't like this at all.
07/23/09
07/22/09
That this has to be spelled out is disturbing.
Has Ms Price that choice is a fundamental aspect of democracy? The Pinkalicious pussy posse isn't trying to institutionalize segregation; just choosing their audience, according to terms for the best possible outcome.
07/22/09
*headthumps Sue Price*
07/22/09
I completely understand what these ladies are talking about. I am quite feminine. I'm a girly queer, hence the name. I am also totally lipstick, and love feminine girls. I cannot TELL you the number of times I've been out with a girl and men have skeezed us out, made comments, stared, asked us for threesomes, and all manner of incredibly fratboy behavior. In most men's worlds, lesbians are either pretending to be men, or some sort of coquette that really wants to go home with them, and is just teasing him by kissing girls. It's disturbing. And it can ruin your night.
It's sad that they even had to ban men, but in my experience, they are probably right.
07/22/09
07/22/09
07/22/09
07/22/09