Pride
Before I get into today’s post, a little housekeeping. Things will probably slow down a bit for the month of June. School is wrapping up and I’m moving so I don’t know when I’ll be able to write. I’ll also be focusing a lot of energy and attention on getting my novel published. I imagine things will be back to “normal” by mid-July.
It’s June, which means it’s Pride Month! Yaaaa! Happy Pride!
It’s pretty incredible that Pride Month exists. When I was a teenager, being gay wasn’t really something people talked about openly. It wasn’t BAD, per se, but it wasn’t “normal”. Obviously, there were gay people. And trans people. And queer people. I was friends with a lot of them. But it wasn’t something mainstream social norms allowed them to be “proud” of. Slowly, that began to change.
It’s hard to pinpoint one specific point in time when being LGBT was “accepted”. I put it in quotes because there are tens of millions of people who still choose hate and would love nothing more than to shove everyone back in the closet. I guess what I’m talking about is when corporations and TV networks decided it was OK to be queer, trans, or what have you.
This was not always the case. In fact, the 90s featured a lot of two steps forward, one step back moments. There was a time when a moment like this on a TV show was a HUUUUUGE deal:
That clip is from the show Ellen and aired in 1997. It was one of the first moments in broadcast history that a character “came out”. I imagine for gay people around the country, it was a big moment of pride. Finally, after decades of programs tip-toeing around the topic of homosexuality, there was a character who lived their authentic self. The episode aired along with Ellen DeGeneres coming out publicly on both Oprah’s show and in Time magazine.
In today’s world, this would be a news story for maybe a day. A celebrity coming out as part of the LGBTQ community is somewhat commonplace. But in 1997? That was a whole other can of tomatoes. The backlash was swift. Parents groups were alarmed that homosexuality was being “promoted” on TV. ABC felt the pressure and quickly added a warning before episodes of her show. Jerry Falwell referred to her as “Ellen DeGenerate” which is gross.
Quick side note: It’s ironic but warnings on TV shows and movies are kind of commonplace now. There are warnings for smoking, for flashing lights. There are trigger warnings about suicide, gun violence, and all manner of things. Personally, I don’t care for warnings at all. I guess the flashing light one is OK since it’s a legit health issue. But a warning for smoking? Come on. But hey, it’s no skin off my back if someone prefers it. I don’t really care. Warn away!
Ellen got a lot of shit for coming out when she did. Some of her fans turned on her. The media turned her relationship with Anne Heche into an absolute circus. She was treated as something of a novelty by the mainstream. In the end, I suppose it all worked out. She’s rich, she’s married to Portia de Rossi, and just ended a very successful daytime talk show. But it wasn’t always like that. Coming out in the 90s was hard.
The first obviously gay celebrity I can remember is Freddie Mercury. I mean, this dude was gay. Even in the 90s, well after he passed away from AIDS, he was an icon. Not a gay icon, just an icon. He was awesome. I’m sure there were plenty of homophobes in the 70s and 80s who LOVED his ass. I mean, how could you not? Look at this!
Even as a young teenager, before I really even knew what homosexuality was, I could tell there was something special about him. Something… different. He was theatrical. Flamboyant. Confident. His voice exploded out of the speakers. Queen’s music was unlike anything I’d ever heard before. It was operatic. Technical. And yet it still kicked ass. Anyone who thought that gay men were soft or weak or diminutive only had to listen to “Stone Cold Crazy” to see how wrong they were:
Freddie Mercury was a complicated man. He wasn’t really out to the public but he didn’t really try to hide himself either. I’m sure there were millions of gay men around the world who saw his campy stage persona and perhaps saw a bit of themselves in it. Was Freddie bisexual? He referred to Mary Austin as his “wife” and lived with her for years. But he also had long-term relationships with men. I sometimes wonder what Freddie’s life would be like now. I think I have an idea.
I’ve never seen anyone like Li’l Nas X. I mean that dude is not just gay but PROUD to be gay. It’s wonderful to see. There was a time when a video like this would have ended in a jail sentence. But now that corporations can make a profit off a guy like him it’s totally OK. Again, not to everyone. But fuck those people.
And that’s really all that matters in America. Can money be made off it? Back when gay people were closeted and the majority of people had no idea about the LGBTQ community, there was no profit in recognizing or advertising to them. But after the actions of some very brave people, companies were forced to acknowledge them. Money is the same no matter who it comes from.
It is disheartening to see corporations celebrate pride and then donate money to politicians who seek to restrict the community’s rights. It’s hypocritical. But remember, corporations were created with one purpose in mind: to make money. That’s it. They aren’t here to liberate anyone. Of course, it’s shitty to celebrate pride and then donate to bible-thumping homophobes who would like nothing more than to stone trans people in public. Are you really surprised that the same people who celebrate Earth Day are responsible for pollution?
Here’s what you can do: ignore them. Don’t buy their crap. Support local businesses owned by actual gay/trans people. And not just during Pride. Do it all year round! Who cares if Target puts out another trashy line of crap for Pride? They wouldn’t do it if people didn’t buy it. So don’t buy it.
I do have to mention one caveat to this. For many people, a Target or a Walmart is the only store they can get to. Imagine you’re a 15-year-old gay boy in the middle of nowhere. Maybe your internet isn’t that reliable or fast. Target might be your only option for getting clothes that celebrate Pride. In that case, I’m glad those kids have an option, even if the money goes to a bunch of shareholders who don’t really care.
June is kind of the perfect month to celebrate Pride. The weather is finally getting nice. School is ending. Cookouts are everywhere. People are coming together again. The world is thawing and everyone is warming up. Well, not in the Southern Hemisphere. It’s the beginning of winter there. But you get my point.
So Happy Pride, everyone! Have fun, be safe, and be loved!