Originally
posted by
Josey Wales:
Doug,
Happy Pride. I’ve got gay family members, gay friends, and attended one of the first gay weddings in the nation. There was a drummer in a band that I loved that was a man who dressed like a woman. One of the best f*ing drummers I’ve ever seen play. He was a great guy/girl and I couldn’t have cared less how he dressed or what his sexual orientations were. All I saw was a talented drummer who was also an awesome person. Super nice he was.
In general, and imo, Americans don’t give a shyt if someone is lgbtq. Its not the climate of the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, or even the 80s. By the 90s…..be whatever you wanted to be- gay, straight…whatever. The once troubling stigma of someone being gay seemed to have become a relic of an intolerant portion of our nation’s past.
So by 2010-2016 you have an American population that had sociologically and intellectually progressed and evolved to a point where a person was a person, judged by the content of his/her character. Could anyone here really give a shyt about someone being gay? I’ve known most of you a $$ holes long enough on this forum to say that, no… no you don’t because you’re all good people.
Sadly, all of this progress has nearly been wiped out by the politics of our Nations current nightmare. Sadly, politicians have viciously twisted and weaponized numerous aspects of our Nations social mores and the result has been utter divisiveness and turmoil. And that division has been used by politicians to further their own ends.
In the case of the LGTBQ community, politicians have done an exceptionally effective job. Half the country’s political ideology has worked in lockstep, especially over the last three years, to convince the LGBTQ community that they are “under attack” (that’s a direct quote.”
Are they insane? Under attack from what? From whom?
Here is the play book:
By constant refrain, I will convince you that you are under attack and that the only way for you to not be under attack is to vote for me. Not only that, but I will hijack and weaponize Pride Month to create and sow division in order to further my ends.
It’s despicable.
The trailblazers and pioneers of Gay Rights like Bayard Rustin would be rolling over in their graves if they knew about the current state of affairs.
If any of you are on Twitter, you know that their is a brutal Civil War going on in the LGBTQ Community, literally second by second and as I write these very words. It rages and makes EE look like Candy Land. I would encourage all of you to go on Twitter and witness it for yourself. Very informative. Very insightful.
So to wrap it up, I wish anyone Happy Pride if it makes that person feel good. But I do wonder… is pride month even necessary? These days… I don’t know. I do know this though: We’re all Americans.
Shouldn’t that be enough?
Josey,
I have known you along time. This was by far the nicest message I’ve read. You make excellent points. As I originally said, one day maybe Pride Day or month won’t be needed. Suicidal, had a point, all be it parenthetical at best. That it shouldn’t matter. Celebrating one’s self shouldn’t be limited to a parade or event. But done so with friends and families. Doing what I do in the world I do it in I have mixed feelings. 1. These people act like fools and show off disgusting displays of sexuality for shock value and the news reports it. Making it look “dirty” and frankly it is. It doesn’t help the young closeted kids who see dog masks and collars on people. This niche is exactly what makes people runaway. And keep kids scared. 2. The other side of the coin is, many do it well and clean. Celebrating life and their independence from our own chains we lived with for years. Until college I was terrified. A drunken father who I took the beatings so my brother didn’t have to endure his rage. A high school team that probably would have been ok with me as I didn’t act like the fools I pointed out above. College in DC in the 2000’s things changed, I found myself and kept chasing my now husband away as I didn’t want to be this way. I asked god to fix me, I asked doctors to fix me. I went into forensic psych to fix ME not others. My grandmother knew, she simply said “go see Lincoln and listen” I think her reference was from a west wing episode. So I went late at night and just figured I’d end it or I’d embrace it. Finally I accepted it and allowed Colin in my space. The rest is history.
But today we’ve allowed the pendulum to swing too far. Weather it’s to the left or right we push too hard. And progress stops. We got married fearing what the Supreme Court would do. This is dangerous for anybody.
But today I lead 60 men and women to help the LGBTQ community, the mentally ill, and diverse communities that make up our city. I’m guided by my faith, my teachings and my grandmothers. Wise women of the World War II era.
So yes, we celebrate as we celebrate other peoples holidays. But you’re right, I hope one day we don’t need a month or a day to celebrate or push an agenda. But to love one another. To disagree without being disagreeable. But to allow people to just exist in their space. Thank you Josey, I was so so happy to read that. Thank you.
D
