Beyond Gay: Politics Of Pride

[Backindiapers]

Has anyone seen this film? Oh my gawd, it was really interesting to see how Pride started and what is going on in the world with gay rights. It really opens your eyes to the meaning of the Pride March and how it has become a symbol around the world. I suggest it!!!

P.s. Its on Showtime on demand right now.

[Diseased88]

I've always wanted to learn more about the Pride movement. I don't have cable, and it's not on Netflix though, so I guess I'll have to trawl the interwebs.

[LuvsGurl]

I admire and respect the participants in the PRIDE movement and completely understand what they are trying to do. However I'm not a big fan of flaunting your alternative lifestyle in public. IMO when in Rome, do as the Romans.

[Total Trash]

I admire and respect the participants in the PRIDE movement and completely understand what they are trying to do. However I'm not a big fan of flaunting your alternative lifestyle in public. IMO when in Rome, do as the Romans.

I hate to be nitpicky, but after almost going on a tirade about (what I sincerely hope is) a misreading of your post, I felt the need to suggest you use first person rather than second person statements when getting into these kinds of discussions on identity politics. It would be fairly easy to interpret your post as saying you're not a fan of other people "flaunting [their] alternative lifestyle" rather than not being a fan of flaunting your own lifestyle.

Again I'd like to stress that if it was not your intent to come across that way then this is not directed at you. However since I've seen the "shoving it in my face" argument expressed elsewhere on this forum, I feel it necessary to preempt any such statements with this blog post explaining how they are problematic (at least for purported "allies." Card-carrying homophobes will probably just see the implied erasure as a desired feature).

People within the gender and sexuality norm do not get to interfere. Simple as. How hard can it be? If your privilege has made you think that people being themselves are shoving stuff in your face, you need to examine your privilege rather than their motives. It stinks the whine of the privileged person who just can’t accept that the oppressed people have needs too. We need to be recognised as the equals of anyone else. We need to resist our erasure at the hands of the privileged. And one way we’re doing that is through Pride. Is through throwing up a light to our youth so that they can find themselves. Is through taking the aspects of us that the kyriarchy hates and celebrating them defiantly. Is through sticking a finger up at the dominant norms and saying ‘We exist too!’

[square_duck]

I admire and respect the participants in the PRIDE movement and completely understand what they are trying to do. However I'm not a big fan of flaunting your alternative lifestyle in public. IMO when in Rome, do as the Romans.

I believe that if you studied some real Roman history, you will learn that Romans *REALLY* did was far and above anything we are dealing with today, and they make the pride parades and fetish communities look TAME!

And that may be why Rome ultimatly fell

[Backindiapers]

I admire and respect the participants in the PRIDE movement and completely understand what they are trying to do. However I'm not a big fan of flaunting your alternative lifestyle in public. IMO when in Rome, do as the Romans.

Pride Parades may seem to be big parties for gay folk....ok well they are but they started for a WHOLE other reason. Watch the damn documentary!! It used to be criminal, as in felony to be gay here in the U.S.A. and is still very deadly to be gay in other countries. I wasn't going to go into big depth on this issue but was very moved by the film. You say "alternative lifestyle" as your lifestyle is the only one that is normal and I find it odd you would phrase it that way. Now the funny thing is I'm not gay but I support equal rights in all forms. Again watch the film before making judgments on it.

[Bettypooh]

Pride Parades may seem to be big parties for gay folk....ok well they are but they started for a WHOLE other reason. Watch the damn documentary!! It used to be criminal, as in felony to be gay here in the U.S.A. and is still very deadly to be gay in other countries. I wasn't going to go into big depth on this issue but was very moved by the film. You say "alternative lifestyle" as your lifestyle is the only one that is normal and I find it odd you would phrase it that way. Now the funny thing is I'm not gay but I support equal rights in all forms. Again watch the film before making judgments on it.

Nothing ever stays the same as it began Life would be boring if it did I can't see the vid but it seems appropriate that what was once something of a statement would turn into a celebration as it grew, and as it became clear to more people that if you have a right to something, so does everyone else On a sadder note, having the right to be yourself, openly or not, does not protect you from the evils of society Gay and Trans people are assaulted daily and murdered often for just refusing to be who someone else wants them to be It is no more "flaunting" or "in your face" for a person to express their being Gay or Trans any more than it is for you to express your not being Gay or Trans Fairness means that there can be only one standard for all. If you are free to dress as you like, then I am free to do the same- even if I want to wear a Mu-mu, a top hat, and pink stiletto heels If you are free to kiss your hetero partner in public, then a non hetero couple has that same right to kiss too What nobody is free to do is to physically act against someone who is exercising their rights just the same as you are- even if they are doing something different than you do, or are doing something you disagree with You don't have to like or dislike anything, but you must live with those who do.

In a truly free society, you have the right to express your disagreement vocally or in writing in a reasonably peaceful manner, and that's all. To more easily see and understand what true freedom is, ask yourself if you would allow the person or movement you're against to impose things on you in the same manner you wish to impose things on them. If that answer is 'no' then you do not have the right to impose what you want on them. Kinda simple, isn't it? And yet many people don't get it at all At first, the Pride movement had very few supporters from the outside. Over time, as more people began to see what I just said about true freedom, the outside support grew Though I may or may not not believe in or support the ideas that you do, I support your right to have them, for to do otherwise is to say that I do not wish to have the right to my own ideas. If I get a chance to see this vid I will take it- it sounds interesting. Thanks for posting it Backindiapers!

Bettypooh

[Diaperedmaddi]

That is an impressive Doc. I'm hoping they will sell copies soon.

[Eir]

While it seems that there is political freedom to be different, there is not much social freedom. I recently came out on these forums as being bigendered. I feel fully masculine and fully feminine. What sets me apart from the trans community is that instead of having my core identity be female in a male body, I share my body equally with a female persona. (Who is a container for my femininity) I have had her since around middle school. By absorbing all of my feminine traits and desires, she has made it easier for me to pass as a standard male (My profile contains more info on this.) Even on this website there is not complete freedom. I have been flamed on open chat for flying the bigendered flag. People feel like you are shoving things down their throat, it is a fairly typical, kneejerk reaction.

[Diapered Jason]

I have not seen this movie, but I can tell you there are many things I do not like about American laws and culture. One thing I am wondering is what became of subtlety? My gosh, the people booed Ron Paul's golden rule, "don't do to others what we do not want done to ourselves". I think a huge problem is the media likes to report on crazy and blow things completely out of proportion. This motivates people to act against other people.

Case in point, after the Columbine shootings were covered nationally by the media, there was a huge increase in the number of shootings occurring at schools. The loners suddenly found a way to make everyone know their name.

How about a more recent example. Remember hearing about the shooting of a young African American in self-defense over in Florida. New evidence was recently reported by the news showing it was actually was in self-defense and not motivated by racism. In fact, the shooter was Latino, but that did not stop the news from spewing the r-word many times over in earlier reports. As a result, people have already acted. There is now a bounty on the shooters head.

The same thing happens to gays and lesbians. Even if the comment by Rick Santorum or whoever is condemned in the news report, people will still believe Rick Santorum and act on those beliefs. Of course, there are still many news reports that support Rick Santorums stance against everyone who is not White and Christian. If you look it up, I bet you will find the number of gays and lesbians killed rises and falls with the flavor of the week in the news.

This unethical news reporting needs to stop and candidates for office need to tone down their language and rhetoric. These reports and comments spread hate like wildfire, but I think I should note that they do not cause it. To determine what the cause is, you need to go deeper into our culture. I could go on, but I think this is enough for now. I guess this is end of my tirade. I hope it was not too disheartening or divisive, but for me, it has come to a pivotal point of frustration, and I am glad I got it all out there. I am going to go put my diaper on now.

I believe that if you studied some real Roman history, you will learn that Romans *REALLY* did was far and above anything we are dealing with today, and they make the pride parades and fetish communities look TAME!

And that may be why Rome ultimatly fell

Lol, yeah, they were quite unabashed when it came to fucking in public. Something we are years away from.

[robert_dl]

The quote "when in rome ..." is very interesting in this context. I've heard that the roman men would often sleep with other men because women were considered second-class citizens. It was considered more culturally acceptable to sleep with a man, than with a 'dirty servant' woman!!

BTW, I can't find this movie on TPB and would really like to see it, if anyone could share a link that would be awesome.

Sometimes when I read posts like this, it seems like the USA is a different planet. In NZ, nobody really cares if your straight, bi, gay or whatever. I have a few gay friends (guys n gals) and it's just like having any other friend. Sexual preference has no bearing on the person whatsoever

~ still NZ had the worlds first transexual mayor and member of parliment

: http://en.wikipedia..../Georgina_Beyer

[ForbiddenFruit]

The quote "when in rome ..." is very interesting in this context. I've heard that the roman men would often sleep with other men because women were considered second-class citizens. It was considered more culturally acceptable to sleep with a man, than with a 'dirty servant' woman!!

Not for the bottom. It was actually illegal for a Roman (free) man to be the recipient.

[Backindiapers]

BTW, I can't find this movie on TPB and would really like to see it, if anyone could share a link that would be awesome.

Sorry can't find a free version. http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Gay-The-Politics-Pride/dp/B00593U4G8

[belinda_sue_fox]

if I want to wear a Mu-mu, a top hat, and pink stiletto heels

I thouoght you had to wear that to be let in wallyworld stores

[TheLostWanderer]

When in Rome... that is actually a interesting phrase in this case!