Why are so many glbt people quick to fly a rainbow flag at a pride parade, but...?

Question

many of them don't even know WHY they should be proud? or WHAT gay pride represents? I used to be a public relations officer for my campus glbt organization and all the members wanted to do ALL this gay pride stuff, and I asked them, "How many of you know when the first gay pride parade was?" "How many of you even know what the rainbow flag represents"? and "How many of you know what lead to the level of somewhat acceptance glbt people have TODAY?" and I was AMAZED at how many people don't know their gay history. Doesn't this seem a bit hypocritical? I mean it seems to me, in order to know where you're GOING, you have to know where you CAME FROM. How can we be shoving rainbows in people's faces when we can't even back up our own reasoning for doing so?

Answer 1

a person can be proud to be gay without knowing all the history of the gays before them. being proud to be yourself is not reason enough to march in a pride parade? i disagree with you...i think it is.

Answer 2

First, I like history, so I agree with you partially.

Still, I've been to parades where the multi-color flags are waving in the breeze, and I know darn well the people holding them or just walking by them are there primarily to show support for lesbian and gay people. They know what it is like to be gay, to be different, and feel affinity and empathy towards others who might have suffered for their sexual orienation. Yet they know very little about gay and lesbian history. That doesn't in any way cheapen their experience in the parade. It probably makes them more open to learning more about their own history.

I think someone who hold the staff of a gay flag in along a parade route is a very brave individual, indeed.

Answer 3

Well, I don't fly a rainbow flag, and I don't like the entire gay pride label. I am gay, I was born that way, and I am comfortable with the way I live. I am happy, and I have a partner who loves me. I am not PROUD however to be gay. I did nothing to earn this, I didn't work my whole life to be gay, it is just a part of me. Call me a non-conformist, but I am not even proud to be American. Again, I was born here, I didn't do anything to earn this status. Instead of being proud to be American, I am just thankful. As to being gay, well I am thankful that I have a lot of people supporting me. I don't like it when the gay population has to think that they need to stick out and be recognized. I can see doing that as a way to attract a mate, as some animals and insects do because the population isn't so large, but as to just showing off to the world? I don't see the point. I would rather the average person just say "who cares?", because being gay isn't an anomaly, it is just a normal form of life.

Just my dos pesos....

Answer 4

Who gave you the right to decide WHY and WHAT gay pride represents? I was around for the gay pride movement in the '60s, underage I admit, but I was there, and the key thing was who we were at that time. Young people today, who stand proudly as who they are, are not only NOT hypocritical, they are what WE were working to achieve. As a Historian I obviously approve of the study of History, I've devoted my life to it, but for many people what matters is where they are as people TODAY. You can inform people of their roots, I would hope that you would, but you have no right to criticize or condemn people who look to the future not to the past.

Answer 5

I agree up to a point - Yes, if someone wants to be waving flags in other people's faces then they should know exactly what the flag represents and what they are celebrating.
The only minor point I would make is that not everyone wants to wave flags or see themselves as part of a 'movement'; they would prefer simply to get on with their own lives, and for that they don't need to know any history except their own. But I do realise that your question was aimed at the former, so I agree.

Answer 6

well, I have to admit I could not spout off precise dates, details about every aspect of our GLBT history, but that's only because my memory is not the best. even at 43, I still read and learn new things about our history all the time. I think the majority of those who probably know very little are those that are very young. they still have a lot to learn yet....many are simply naive. but, with our being more out and visible, and the availability of more information...especially with the internet access to so much...it's so much easier for people to read about our history.

Answer 7

Its not just the Gay Pride movement which suffers this, look at the Anti-War movement. Mnay of the protesters we saw in the London march a few years ago were incredibly ignorant towards how the world actually works, and spiralled into mad conspiracy theories and band-wagoneering.

Its a Populist problem in general, some people just want to be part of something because its 'cool'

Answer 8

The flag, like anything else is symbology. People use it without true knowledge of it to represent their feeling or emotions around a certain issue. It is used to represent them, as different from the rest of society, knowledge of it's origins is unnecessary for it's purpose.

You don't need to know the history of the American flag to know the government and ideals it represents.

Answer 9

Perhaps it is so in America, but from the country I am recently coming from it is not so much so.

But at the same time, why do you think you are special because you might know the answer to these questions. Then why are you asking them? It seems you are doing so only to put others down who are simply trying to be happy about themselves and their choices, and find a way in life to continue so without being oppressed. It seems you too are hypocritical, and sadly arrogant. But perhaps only your questions and tone come over this way.

Why not simply EDUCATE others you feel are lacking in this regard instead of insulting them?

Conversely I could ask the questions if you know or care about the struggles of GBLT persons in other countries. Does that mean you do not care or wish to know? No, perhaps not. But one doesn't assume or try to put others down in order to push themselves up. Then you become a type of oppressor also.

Answer 10

I have to admit that I couldn't answer a lot of your excellent questions about the glbt history - shame on me. I can tell you though that I exhibit my pride and support of my community by using some of the symbols of our community. I do feel sufficiently guilty now, however, to go and do more research to get these answers. Thanks for the heads up!

Answer 11

I think alot of that has to do with the generation gap. For many of the younger crowd AIDS has always been around, by the time they were old enough to know that they did have an "orientation" many places had enacted civil rights protections covering sexual orientation/gender identity, they haven't actually ever gone to the police with a report of an attack and gotten a "well that's what you get for being gay" response... Many simply don't understand what it means because they haven't lived through the "bad" times.