So it’s in your interest to think carefully about who else may have access to whatever information you post-today and down the road.ĬAN WE CHARGE OUR FRIENDS TO COME TO OUR WEDDING SHOWER? Remember that anything you post on a social networking site is forever. One final note: you mention that you’re a college senior, so presumably you’ll be seeking a job upon graduation. After that, it’s fine to note on your profile that you’re interested “in men” or “in women” and see where that leads you. Then, tell your closest friends, parents, siblings, and others you care about-in person. The first step in any successful coming out is getting comfortable enough to talk about it.
Gay pride dress code Offline#
In your case, I think it’s especially unwise because you say you’re having trouble speaking up offline about your sexuality. But I’m afraid using social networking sites this way is no replacement for direct, in-person conversations. Making your announcement to so many people at once can be liberating, and you don’t have to go through the hassle of having the same conversation a dozen times. Recently I’ve been thinking about just updating my Facebook profile before I tell my friends or family.What do you think about that?Ī: Coming out online has its benefits. Q: I’ve wanted to come out for years, but I’m a senior in college now and haven’t found the courage to tell anyone. I think it’s a shame-perhaps laziness, if not homophobia-that most cameras settle on the louder and racier scenes, and miss out on great stories about lower-profile groups like the Trevor Project (a suicide prevention group for LGBT people), as well as gay athletes, seniors, activists, teen groups, and so on. Not that I wouldn’t also like to see more variety of images in the media during our pride celebrations. If the more mainstream parts of our community push the leather and drag communities to the side, literally and metaphorically, we’ll have erased the essence of gay pride.Īt the same time, I think the reason we have groups like the National Center for Lesbian Rights and the Human Rights Campaign, is, indeed, to present a more “wholesome” front-complete with suit and tie-that is no doubt more effective in Congressional hearings and in state legislatures across the country.
Even the marriage-equality movement is about inclusion and diversity.
Pride festivities provide a brief moment every year to recall the birth of the modern LGBT civil rights movement, which we do happen to owe to a group of drag queens and trans people, among others. I’d suggest that there is a time and place for everything. In the 90s, two gay Harvard intellectuals, one a psychologist and the other an ad man, proposed exactly what you are: that gays must portray themselves in a positive way to straight America if they are to win the battle for legal and social rights. Ever since, they along with groups dressing in the particular styles you mention have been criticized for presenting a “face” of LGBT people to the world that’s too pro- vocative. While they’re certainly front and center for logistical reasons (you wouldn’t want to march in front of them after all), there’s also another more important explanation: They are symbolic of the defiance, freedom and, yes, gay pride, that was birthed during the Stonewall Rebellion in 1969.
Gay pride dress code full#
I mean, why do so many gay men and lesbians need to show up in full drag or leather?Ī: I hope you’re not suggesting I ask Dykes on Bikes to refrain from kicking off pride parades in cities across the country. Here’s why I ask:On a day that our community gets so much attention from the news media and from straight people, I think it’s a shame that so many of my brothers and sisters don’t clean up their act, so to speak, so that we can present a more wholesome face to the country. Q: I’m looking forward to my city’s pride celebration later this month but wondering if you have some suggestions on a “dress code” for those in attendance.