If gays want respect and acceptance, why are their parades so deviant? Why do they wear dog collars, chaps,?

Question

Wave around sex toys, and ect.

Don't you feel, this hurts your cause, and actually portrays you as diviants? ( A steriotype you are trying to overcome)

Mona, I know about this, because it is splashed all over the news whenever they have one, please keep your insults to yourself...

Eleanor L,
It was just a question, (am I at the wrong website?) jeeesh!

Answer 1

Simply because not all gay people are alike. Some want to show their sexual choice in more flamboyant ways, other gays would never do that and it's ok.

Answer 2

There is a VERY large segment of the community that agrees with you for the exact reasons you stated. There's another part of the community, however, that recognizes that legally speaking: even deviants should have equal rights. The fact that the two people who want to get married are into leather should have no impact on their right to get married. That someone dresses in drag as a hobby / for money (yes; it pays, and pretty well if you're any good I've heard) should have no impact on their being accepted into the military. The idea is that we shouldn't have to belittle or distance ourselves from the "freaks"; because the freaks deserve rights too.

This all assumes you're talking about "oddly" dressed people who are still observing decency laws. As for the rest of it; granted, I've only been to two parades so far, but I've never seen sex toys or anything else really indecent. Questionable taste (there was one drag queen dressed as a nun, which was...odd, but then to boot her makeup was...she looked a mess. I didn't get it), but I've never seen anything illegal, or even non-family-friendly in the parade. The audience isn't always as family friendly, but I imagine that's true at ANY parade in some form or another.

Answer 3

Actually iy's quite easy to understand:
-news will show what calls more attention and is more extravagant
-they like to show the extreme stereotypes rather than showing a gay parade as something normal. you don't believe, attend one (from the window, if you are ashamed of being confused with one)
-some people approach the parades as a test to show there is absolutely nothing they are ashamed of and that they won't accept the chains of society
-so it's a provocation to people who try to reduce them to assexual shadows
-it's also an artistic form of expression, and people can be quite original and have the right of being so

And no, it doesn't hurt at all. People who understand gays know what a parade means. People who are against gays will not change their mind ever, and they always search for whatever confirms their views. This is reality.

Answer 4

I agree sadly even though I am all for equal rights no matter what your sexuality...I cannot condone the blatant disgusting behaviour at "Pride" parades.

Families go to show there support of the gay community and watch the parade and floats.....and no child needs to see men being whipped on a float, exposing of genitalia, the mimicking of sexual acts and the waving of toys.

If you want acceptance then live by the rules of the land...if a straight parade happened and we did any of the above we would be arrrested for indecency...but this does not seem to happen to the homosexual/bi community because it would be political suicide.

All I say is have your parade, be proud, but remember there are children in attendance who are there to support you too.

Answer 5

Yep, it is splashed all over the news -- its the most sensational thing in the average gay parade. My partner and I walked in the parade in NYC with friends twice. The NYC parade has several hundred thousand marchers/walkers.... There are a few dozen people in shock drag and a few hundred leather bois -- and 500 dykes on bikes give or take -- and several hundred thousand of the rest of us -- but it is always one of the first three groups in the media.

I wonder why?

Regardless, our cause is freedom and equality. Let's think about the straight community. Let's see, I can think of a half dozen straight "dungeon" bars without straining to think -- where people go to be tied up and whipped and things -- oh, and they wear leather and chains. Many goths and punks wear dog collars -- even in the upstate area where we live I see punk bois with piercings and tats and girls leading them by chains to their dog collars fairly often. .... So there really isn't much difference, and what would it say about routine, boring gays like Jonathan and I if we fought to exclude those who were different from us, but no different from counterparts in the straight community?

Do you see my point?

Regards,

Reyn
http://www.rebuff.org
[e-mail]

Answer 6

Yep, parade can be snazzy and tasteless but I think it’s a way to show and call attention on any diversity. Just a provocative exhibition (against the stereotype you mention), a moment of joy and participation! That’s all.
I too don’t like such a show, but we’ve to look beyond and understand.
On the contrary, your question let me notice again that straight people as you try to seek for little nitpick while around there are many other greater and oddness (straight) contradictions you don’t notice even.

Answer 7

I will infer that you are speaking of those who choose to live in the BDSM lifestyle.

From the way you framed your question, it would seem that you believe that the GLBT community has the monopoly on "leather". If that is true, then you are wrong. VERY wrong.

BTW, I've been in numerous GLBT rights marches and have yet to see any "sex toys, and ect [sic]."

If you choose to, look at other contingents within the march and you will see many community organizations represented. The GLBT community is a multi-faceted one. Its diverse culture is what makes us unique; indeed, not so much as being "proud" of our culture, but being UNASHAMED of our culture is what sets us apart from Breeders.

There are fringe areas in every culture, even yours. A fringe group does not a complete and whole culture make. Take a peek at the many magazines, you know the ones ... they're wrapped in plastic and are kept behind some counters in convenience stores ... that your culture provides for your entertainment. Better yet, visit Rio during Carnival. You will see numerous floats and parade marchers who are bare-breasted (heterosexual) women. There's out and out nudity there! ::gasp!::

Best Wishes!

Answer 8

I'm gay and I don't wear any of those things and it's just not what I'm into, but you must admit that heterosexuals do that kind of stuff too, it's just that they don't have to go out and march publicly and would indeed prefer not to!

The idea of gay pride marches is to show how many gay people there are and so most gay people join the cause and say 'we're not ashamed'. Not ashamed of being gay or of liking wearing dog collars and what-have-you.

Straight people do this too, but they don't have to march for respect, they don't need to tell people they're not ashamed and so the outcome is that most straight people who are into this stuff actually are ashamed and keep it quiet!

So, no, I agree, it doesn't look great, but they're not ashamed and it's not an exclusively gay thing.

Answer 9

I think its more a show of solidarity than about acceptance ...why would they really care what people think ....and why would you care anyway if its not your thing ?There is hundreds of parades that i dont care about.

If you still beleive what the media chooses to ram down your throat ...maybe you should read a little more ...they show the worst to help the hate along ....its the american way!

Anything put under a microscope looks bad.including religion ,big business and any form of difference.

Answer 10

I agree 100% these gay pride parades should be putting forth the best about the community not the depravity and sickest stuff.

Straight people care because we have to shield our children from these sort of things. Any other pride parade you can take your children to and suport thier issues knowing that you children will not be exposed to sexual matters but at a gay pride parade you are lucky if you dont see graphic depictions of anal sex.

Answer 11

They are no more or less deviant than Mardi Gras parades. While some do feel the need to flaunt sexual issues in front of others, the majority do not.