Activism? That’s So Gay!
I knew that I was a 🚬 for the longest time. I didn’t have the words for it when I was a kid. I just knew that I was different and the other kids called me that word to make sure that I was different. The politics of the playground was almost Game-of-Thrones-esque when it came to getting picked for dodgeball teams, save for the rampant incest. Getting picked last because nobody wanted the gay kid, and getting hit first because nobody wanted the gay kid. And fighting for my life off the playground became a daily routine being raised in conservative Catholic Philippines.
Every queer kid has had some experience similar to this where our very existence is on the line simply for being queer. For just existing. What is so wrong about being gay? Why is it that my being on this planet is brought into question? Why was it that I was seen as less than all because I’m a guy who’s not a huge fan of eating pussy? I wasn’t going to get answers to any of those questions then, but the beauty of retrospect is that I can give that 7-year old Tim answers now after taking part in my fair share of questioning societal expectations and norms and challenging the status quo of what it means to be a queer person.
Being a queer person and living in a queer body is not inherently a political act in and of itself. It is our identity and an integral part of who we are. The radicality comes from our resilience when living in an environment that aims to keep us down. It aims to make us feel othered. Policy makers have made pronoun disclosure a big deal when it’s so fucking unserious. Like, okay, I go by they/them now. Sound the alarms, I guess? And drag queens have become the target in the government’s thinly veiled attempts to erase trans people from existence. The strawman, or in this case straw(wo)man, fallacy is that exposing kids to drag queens is exposing them to debauchery. Babe, Hooters called. They want their pointed criticism back.
The beauty of being a queer person is that we have existed since time immemorial, and we will continue to fight and resist in the face of our oppressor. Queer people, much like the STIs we’ve contracted, are not going anywhere. The LGBTQ+ (or however many letters the Alphabet Mafia have added) rights movement and activism have made being queer a hot button political issue for several reasons:
Historical Oppression and Discrimination
We have had a looooonnngggg history of being subjected to discrimination, persecution, and even execution. Many societies have made same-sex relationships illegal, and trans people were doxxed and subjected to violence. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders declassified homosexuality as an illness in 1973. 1973! Fifty years ago! There are people older than that! And in 2013 the DSM was revised again to remove any sort of diagnosis that’s related to a person’s sexual or gender orientation. Ten years ago. That means that I could have been diagnosed with an illness in 2013 simply because I like to take big dick. I mean, that could be an addiction, but that’s a discussion for another time. The point is that we’ve put up a lot of shit for a really long time, and we’re gonna keep putting up with it until it stops.
Advocacy for Equal Rights
A lot of our activism is centred around achieving equal rights and protections under the law as our hetero counterparts. This means the equal right to marry, accessing healthcare (because queer people have different health care needs. Yes, that is a fact. Look it up.), and protections from discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations. And before you hit me with, “Well, straight people deserve protections too,” what exactly do you need protection from? Take a seat, Linda. Our activism works to ensure that people like us can live our lives without fear solely because of our orientation or identity.
Social Change and Visibility
Openly expressing my queerness is already a challenge in social norms. Holding my boyfriend’s hand in public or getting railed on the street during Folsom Street Fair holds up a big middle finger in the face of heteronormativity. Now obviously public gay sex may not be the queer liberation movement we all want to see, but you get the point. Being visibly queer and living without fear contributes to social acceptance and understanding. It can be seen as a political act because it helps break down stereotypes and prejudices and promotes diversity and inclusion. Golden showers notwithstanding.
Intersectionality
A lot of the Mafia are from other marginalised groups. For example, I live at the intersection of being gay, gender nonconforming, and Filipino. My entire life is shaped by the mixture of these identities and not just one aspect of it. What? Did you think being gay is my only identity? I mean, yes, I’ll be incessant about it and say anything that mildly inconveniences me will be considered an act of homophobia, but it’s not the only thing I focus on. Queer people are shaped by their culture, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and more. An intersectional activist view at queer liberation recognizes the complex ways in which discrimination can overlap and compound because being gay is not the only way in which we are made to feel othered. Who knew that the human experience was not black and white?
Legislation and Policy
Activism and advocacy involves making change at all levels of government. It is not just the inclusion of gender-neutral public washrooms. It is working to pass anti-discrimination laws, trans protection laws, and comprehensive sex education to name a few. Political advocacy works to secure and maintain the legal rights and protections of queer individuals. Yes, even the insufferable ones like RuPaul. Sadly, queer protection means protecting the ones that we don’t like too. 😒
Global LGBTQ+ Rights
Many parts of the world condemn being openly queer. Advocacy on a global scale is essential to challenge these oppressive systems and provide support to those in more hostile environments. I’m gonna try to stay in my lane here while also opening a can of homophobic developing nation worms, but remember what I said in the last section about true liberation means liberation for us all? Well, that includes supporting countries that have homophobic legislation because those countries have queer people too. Shocking. In light of recent events such as the Israel-Palestine war, I have seen a lot of queer people slowly dip into anti-Palestinian rhetoric that sounds something like, “Why should Palestine have my support when they hate gay people?” Well, I hate to break it to you, but there are gay Palestinians. 😯I know, right? Supporting Palestine is not being anti-semitic nor is it supporting Hamas. In the context of this article it means, “Free Palestine so that they don’t have to worry about dying and then maybe they can start rethinking their views on homosexuality.” Nuance and priorities. Try it some time.
Representation in Politics
The presence of openly queer people in government is already a political act. Having queer people be involved in the process of changing policy is important because why would I want some hetero telling me what rights I’m entitled to? You don’t know me! Having queer people as elected officials is not just important in making change now, but it’s important in making change for the future. Think of some little queer boy in Midwestern America seeing a trans supreme court judge and inspiring him to create his own little advocacy movement. Think of how empowered he’ll feel when he’s finally able to legalise poppers in every state. Now that’s gay rights. This also isn’t an excuse to let just any queer person in government. Queerness is not a monolith. There are shitty queer people out there much to our chagrin. No way in hell am I letting Caitlyn Jenner near a political podium. That bitch can die like how she killed that innocent man with her car. Queer people deserve the same amount of chances and public scrutiny as straight people. We’re just as chaotic!
Being queer is not inherently political, but LGBTQ+ activism and political engagement have been crucial in advancing the rights, acceptance, and visibility of queer individuals. Our efforts have played a pivotal role in dismantling discriminatory laws, changing societal attitudes, and creating more inclusive and equitable societies for queer individuals. We have to remember that this is a marathon, not a sprint. We have a long way to go before we reach true liberation. We may not even see it in our lifetime. But we can certainly pave the way to make it easier for the next queer generation to come. At the very least we can tell a straight person to get out of the way because we’re busy.
