I'm a fat brown cis male queer, humorless feminist, tender queer, late 20's college student. This is a blog about people of color solidarity, queer separatism, body positivity, dismantling the white supremacist capitalist cisheteropatriarchy and general insurrection. This blog is a manifestation of my fat, brown, queer rage.
I also run the body positive blogs fuckyeahchubbyguysofcolor and fatnudes, if you're into that sort of thing.
all queers know that they are queer, despite the work that heterosexism and cissexism do to alienate them from this fact
the only possible reason for a queer person not to come out is that they’re in a queerphobic environment
alienation from the self as produced by heterosexism does not exist
alienation from the self as produced by cissexism does not exist
if you’re queer and not out, there’s something wrong with you
(via cloudnoise)
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Media sexualization of women and the pressure on women involved in sports to appear as “real women” means wearing make-up, appearing and acting feminine. Some researchers blame homophobia in sports for the need to present heterosexual images. Driven by fears of being labelled as lesbians, women athletes seek to project an over-emphasized heterosexual, feminine image.
But the (hetero)sexualization of women athletes keeps women in their place, whether they are playing or coaching in “male” sports or ones considered more “feminine appropriate.” Compulsory heterosexuality and the sexualization of women are very effective tools in the treatment of women athletes as second-class citizens and they also diminish women’s talents as athletes and coaches.
How Equality In Sports is Undermined by Compulsory Heterosexuality (via sociolab)
(via thatneedstogo)
[NB: we discuss the word “homophobia” in more depth than words like “lesbophobia” or “transphobia” because all post 1955 “phobia [bigotry]” words that the mods have encountered are explicitly based off of the “homophobia” model.]
“Homophobia” is not the same thing as “heterosexism,” and suggestions that we just replace former with the latter don’t completely solve the problem. Heterosexism posits that heterosexuality is the only valid sexual orientation and that all other orientations are “lesser.” Homophobia is the hatred and active persecution of queer people. Of course, actions that are heterosexist can be called “homophobic” because enforcing a hierarchy that devalues queer people is an act of persecution against queer people. And similarly, anything that’s “homophobic” is technically heterosexist because persecuting an oppressed minority does indeed enforce a heterosexist hierarchy. “Heterosexism” is a good word to use when critiquing TV networks where all the lead characters are straight.
But what activists who claim that we “need the word homophobia” are really saying is that “homophobia” is a much stronger term than “heterosexism.” And it is, and we need to be able to have a word for hate crimes and Tracy Morgan’s rant and the fact that our youth are 4 times more likely to be homeless and unaccompanied that doesn’t sound clinical or overly-academic. But the reason we don’t jump straight to terms like “hetero-suprmacy” or “anti-queer” or “queer-hate” is because none of these terms are genuinely as pathologized and suggestive of violence as a mental illness is.
The fact is, people who have spent a large amount of time arguing that “homophobia” is an irreplaceable term are either willfully ignorant or simply frustrated that none of the new suggestions—even though all of them harken back to bigotry or hatred—can convey the stigma that “lol you’re crazy” can. “Phobia” language is a way of placing the blame on the bigot and not the culture or the people who are being oppressed. But it does this by playing off of our understanding of mental illnesses as things that are embarrassing to have, likely to result in violence, and a drain or deviation from healthy, “sane” society.
(via bubonickitten)
Two Gay Men Arrested In Russia For Holding A Sign That Read “Homosexuality Is Normal”
For the first time, police in St. Petersburg, Russia, have made arrests on the strength of a new law banning the dissemination of information on homo-, bi- and transsexuality. Two men were arrested in the city center on Thursday after holding up a sign reading “Homosexuality Is Normal,” according to the newswire Interfax.
Russia’s second-largest city passed the controversial law on Feb. 29. The two men now face a possible maximum fine of 500,000 rubles (€12,800/$17,000). The maximum penalty is more than the average annual income in Russia.
The law bans films, music videos, books and newspapers that contain homosexual content as well as the rainbow flag, which is a common symbol of gay pride. And the ban may soon no longer be limited to just St. Petersburg and other cities in Russia. At the end of March, Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party introduced a bill in the country’s parliament, the Duma, which would impose the ban at the national level.
“We are trying to protect our society from homosexual propaganda,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Russian radio three weeks ago.
(via stompy-boots)
ATTENTION CASTRO:
Gay men are not hated because of how they fuck.
Gay men are hated because they are perceived to be effeminate; no matter how “macho” you are, the mainstream equates being gay with lowering oneself to the inferior status of a woman.
Your misogyny—your hatred of women, trans folks, and femme men—is oppressing your community and yourself.
HOMOPHOBIA=TRANSPHOBIA=SEXISM
(Source: maymay, via sanaa-tamir-is-leaving-deactiva)
That thing where gay men masquerade as feminists but actually miss the point completely by not realizing that the root of “homophobia” is actually misogyny and the disgust at the (completely misguided) notion that a man would want to betray their nature-given maleness by (supposedly) acting as a stand-in for a woman during sex and god who would ever want to be a woman ‘cause that’s like the worst thing ever right???? so they pretend like they give a shit about women or how they are treated or the female experience because they think it aligns with their struggle when they would just as soon leave women behind even in their own movement for convenience while (likely) still using oppressive and misogynistic language as sassy pronouns
Yes, but I have to agree with the tweet in that a lot of homophobia is based in the fear straight men feel of being objectified by other men, in a way they are quite comfortable doing with women.
Well, see, my issue with this tweet is that, yeah, sure, that’s a part of it, but that’s definitely not the root or all of it, and it is a part of homophobia that only gay men specifically deal with. By acknowledging that the root of heterosexism is the hate and fear of any perceived form of femininity and its duplication or replication, we can align ourselves more appropriately and honestly with women and also truly fight heterosexism. Basically, I take issue with gay men only giving lip service to women’s issues when we feel it effects us while still perpetuating subtle forms of sexism and misogyny, especially in our own communities. This is readily apparent in this own tweet, as someone else pointed out and I am embarrassed I missed, that homophobia does not only effect gay men. This is a glaring example of how the gay community and gay rights only give a shit about (cis) gay men, and it’s frustrating to me that any of us would try to present ourselves any differently without trying to actually effect the changes necessary to be inclusive.
What is wrong with heteronormativity? [The Short Version]
It leaves people feeling alienated and alone.
It is bad for LGBT people and other people who are outside of it.
It sets up an ‘us and them’ which enables homophobia, biphobia and transphobia to exist.
It is questionable whether the ‘normative’ form of heterosexuality actually is normal.
Our treatment of others should not be based on how normal, or not, they are.
It is bad for those who have some desires or feelings outside the ‘norm’.
It puts pressure on those who are inside it to stay inside it, and may prevent them for finding the kinds of sex and relationships that work for them.
What can we do about it?
Move to a model of sexual diversity rather than normality/abnormality.
(Source: bidyke)
A bill was just passed to allow bullying of any kind in Michigan. The bill just passed states that bullying is non punishable by law if it is shown that the bully has a strong moral conviction. This exempts bullying on basis of ANYTHING, at all, race, gender, sexuality, religion, disability, ANYTHING at all, is not only allowed but basically encouraged. Please spread this around, its sickening, why is this allowed in today’s society.
Son of a
bitchI love this woman. I am sickened that she should have to explain this to them. Michigan; America; the world is watching us.~ Kim
(via cocknbull)
Whenever there’s trouble around the Chinatown and Gallery Place Metro stations in the District, the finger of blame often points to a most unusual group of suspects: a black gay gang called Check It.
Depending on whom you talk to, they’re just a bunch of mischievous gender benders and drama queens, vulnerable gay youths seeking safety in numbers. Or, they’re one of the largest, more aggressive gangs in the city.
To hear the leader of Check It tell it, there may be some truth to both.
“I just got tired of people beating on me and calling me faggie,” Tayron Bennett, 21, told me recently. He’d helped to organize Check It while a student at Hine Junior High School. Other gay youths from his Trinidad neighborhood in Northeast soon joined, followed by gay youths from throughout the city.
D.C. police estimate that Check It has a core membership of about 20 and counts between 50 and 100 others as “associates.”
“At first, I tried fighting bullies one-on-one, but they don’t fight fair; they fight two and three on one,” Bennett said. So the youths got together and “started carrying mace, knives, brass knuckles and stun guns, and if somebody messed with one of us then all of us would gang up on them.”
Check It.
Hey all! I just sat through this lecture and wanted to share my notes.
About the speaker.
Kenyon Farrow is the former executive director of Queers for Economic Justice. He can be found at http://kenyonfarrow.com/
He also wrote the piece: Is Gay Marriage Anti-Black?
Keep in mind these are my notes from a lecture, so if you have burning questions go ahead and ask but I might not be able to expand upon/explain ALL aspects of Kenyon’s points. This was written live as he spoke so they are the product of me trying to catch all of his points and write them down, so there is a lot of paraphrasing going on. I hope my notes make sense haha…
Is Gay The New Black
- Kenyon Farrow
Over the last 3 years the LGBT community has been “a buzz” with this phrase “Gay is the new black!”
- The idea that gay is the new black, while not new, exploded in the mainstream discourse recently with the election of Obama and the passage of Propisitions 8.
- The phrase infers that 1) the struggles of the LGBT is tantamount to the struggles of Blacks in the civil rights movement and that 2) sexual orientation and gender identity is the “NEW” social oppression.
But is gay actually the new black or is this political deceit?
- While homophobia still exists, gay is NOT the new black. OLD black is the new black
- Many in the white LGBT community felt betrayed by the “black community” when exit polls revealed that 70% of black voters in California voted in favor of prop. 8. – Especially when this was right after they went and voted for Obama. Arguments: “we did you a favor by voting for Obama” (as if Mccain and Palin was ever an option anyway)
- Dan Savage, white gay sex columnist, wrote the next morning a post on “black homophobia.” Savage: “I’m tired of pretending that the handful of racist white gay men is more of a problem than homophobic blacks are to the entire gay community. I’ll eat my shorts if white gay & lesbian voters voted for Mccain at the rates that blacks did for Prop. 8” [it turns out, it was later revealed that it was really just 57% of the black population that voted against – numbers that were significantly closer white & Hispanic voter rates.] also, black voters only made up 7% of the population of California! If every black person didn’t show up that day, Prop. 8 still would have passed.
- Ever since prop. 8 “gay is the new black” became the LGBT rally cry – insinuating that race is no longer a factor in America. – However, the phrase is a shallow read of the real problems POC deal with in terms of racism in America. It also reveals the issues within the LGBT movement in dealing and understanding issues of racism.
The “no on 8” campaign
- Outside political consultants came in and completely disregarded the input of local LGBT residents
- LBGT POC offered to organize in their own communities, translate documents into Spanish etc… couples offered to go on TV to discuss how the proposition will affect their families… they were either dismissed or given too few resources.
- The campaign strategy was “don’t talk about race, religion or sex.” The strategy was to intentionally ignore those issues. Also, the strategy was to target middle class white female voters.
- When people feared that Obama’s candidacy would harm the campaign, so it began became an issue of “how do we suppress black voters” AS OPPOSE TO just hiring someone to target black communities (until 7 days before the election). Black LGBT organizations that desperately wanted to get involved were ignored & given no resources to spread the word to their communities.
- Farrow: if the strategy was to target middle class white women voters was it really a surprise that a majority of black voters didn’t vote against the proposition. Now I’m not saying that ANYONE should have voted for the proposition but the assumption that blacks went en mass to vote for prop 8 is untrue?
Gay as the “new second class citizenship”
- Lets be clear, prop. 8 is not the same as the Dred Scott decision – where it was decided by the supreme court that black people were not citizens, were slaves, and that congress can’t abolish slavery
- While there is DEFINITELY discrimination against LGBT communities, and sexuality is criminalized – it does not hold the same precedent as saying “you’re not a citizen and have no right to sue for citizenship in court” Supreme court officers went on record about the inferiority of black people. The Dred Scott case has never been overturned.
- People feel that this comparison to Dred Scott is unfair, but that is exactly how blacks feel when wealthy white gays compare their experiences to the civil rights movement.
What should the national LGBT agenda be focused on?
- Unfortunately, within LGBT activist groups, at times the focus is so much on marriage that when transgender or homosexual bring up the fact that they are not covered by insurance or fear getting kicked off of their insurance once they report that they are transgender they are just told “we don’t care – we’re focusing on marriage.”
- While data shows that those in the LGBT community suffer disproportionably in healthcare, living conditions etc… than their white counterparts, the national LGBT agenda (in terms of laws proposed and points raised) makes it seem as though everyone who is LGBT is white, wealthy and lives in urban areas. It would help the community a lot more to instead of addressing marriage, to fight for health insurance coverage, anti-poverty initiatives, housing & homelessness etc… [used example, a lesbian with no job isn’t going to be helped by the ability to marry. The best she can do is pawn her wedding ring]
- The homophobic prison system
- Where are the LGBT movements demanding a higher minimum wage of the employee freedom of choice act? The anti-discrimination act is fine, but it doesn’t help LGBT prospective employees who have a significantly higher chance of getting their résumé’s pulled for showing their affiliation with LGBT organizations or having “ethnic” sounding names.
- While DADT was a big step, one must examine the role the military plays in promoting homophobic violence all across the world.
VERY interesting - but I’m amazed that people are actually saying ‘gay is the new black’. I’m so sheltered in my radical social justice bubble :o
Good read! and yeah, some ppl are still saying “Gay is the new Black”. ALSO: a few whitegays on FB have put “secondclasscitizen” as their middle name, which irritates me for reasons I couldn’t articulate, but I think this gives good insight as to why that’s an asshole move.
Conversion Therapy - ImFromDriftwood.com
Trigger warning - there is some explicit detail of trauma/torture/abuse
(Source: youtube.com, via cocknbull)
Christian Pastor and Deacons Attack Gay Couple To Keep Them From Church
A gay Tennessee couple was reportedly attacked — physically and verbally assaulted — by a Christian Pastor and his deacons to prevent the same-sex couple from entering the Pastor’s church. Sadly, the pastor is the father of one of the two members of the gay couple. Also sadly, the church members and bystanders did not lift a finger to help the couple or to stop church leaders from perpetrating the crime. Further, initially, local authorities refused to allow the couple to file charges.
(via cocknbull)
"Just because I like pizza it doesn’t mean I should marry it. Biologically, I am predisposed to enjoy the immaculate melding of mozzarella cheese, red sauce and thick crust baked to tasty perfection. But that doesn’t mean I should enter into a lifelong commitment with Sicilian or plain, nor bed it down, nor bring children into the world and have them have to explain to their classmates why their mom’s crust is not a crisp as it once was. Does any child deserve to have their friends tossing Monday 2 for 1 coupons in his face? Not in my world they don’t. Yet, to say that I am against pizza-eaters or gays is absurd."
—Rick Warren on Gay Marriage in an interview with Dateline. (via irenelovesjello) (via gayformarriage)(via goodreasonnews)(via dangerboi)(via taniada)
I mean, aside from the obvious logic fail of this argument, I fucking hate the perspective that the way to make gay people’s lives easier is to make us not gay, rather than fucking educate the people making our lives hard to not be gigantic assholes. I understand that the initial reaction to things you don’t understand, especially for children, are anger and frustration and fear, but why is the solution to this problem preventing loving, committed adults—the kind that are far and few between, especially if you only count those in heterosexual relationships— from raising children rather than to teach the other children that some people are different and that’s okay? Listen up, assholes. Being gay is not inherently difficult. You’re just making it that way. Now stop.
Obviously, I’m kind of rage-y tonight. That kind of came out of nowhere.
