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Monday, 06 July 2009

WE’RE HERE. WE’RE QUEER. WHAT’S NEXT?


PLANETOUT DOT COM ASKS…WE’RE HERE. WE’RE QUEER. WHAT’S NEXT? SO I THOUGHT I’D ASK THE SAME THING HERE TODAY…

There was a time when as a collective group, gay people needed to band together to have our voices heard. We were persecuted, had our bars raided, had our homes taken when our long-term partners passed away and their families didn't approve of our relationships or lifestyles. the government turned a blind eye when thousands of us started dying from a mysterious disease, so heroic people within our community formed advocacy groups. These groups supported our "families" and gave us a place to turn for help when we needed it since it didn't seem that many others cared. We had medical groups, social groups and, of course, activists. It was this last category that showed the world what it had turned its gay community into: angry, frustrated people who weren't going to sit back and be ignored anymore.


One of these groups, Queer Nation, eventually adopted a slogan that many of us have embraced over the last 20 years. "We're here. We're queer. Get used to it" became a rallying cry, a line chanted at parades, outside government buildings, at events. But over time, as gay people became more and more accepted into mainstream society through TV, movies and everyday regular people feeling more comfortable to come out at work, "We're here" became something people used to toss off a joke or just say, "Hey, pay attention to me. I'm talking and I'm gay!" 


The line still has an impact but is it necessary today? Yes, we still aren't fully integrated into society and, yes, we are fighting for the basic civil right to marry our loved ones. But is telling people that we're gay and around and to basically, well, get used to it, a little aggressive? 


An article written by Christopher Ott on Salon in 1999 had a headline "We're here, we're queer, I'm sick of it," which talked about how the gay "agenda" morphed its focus from a political activist viewpoint to one of partying, when in reality we should've been focusing on obtaining equal rights. It's interesting that we're still talking about this last point today.


That said, maybe it's time to come up with a new slogan that we can all embrace and get behind. Someone jokingly said to me that we should say, "We're gay, we're pretty, please don't beat us up," at which time I told him to shut the hell up. We don't want people to think of us as weak or meager, but as equals. Not every straight man is butch and into sports. Not every straight woman is soft and feminine. Just in the same way that not every gay man or woman can be pigeonholed into stereotypically categories.

So yes, we're here and we are queer and yes, people need to get used to it. But do we need to throw it into their faces? Can't we just live our lives and let people get to know us as people and not as gay people? Of course we need people to know who we are otherwise we will never get our rights. But we've advanced tremendously in the last few decades. So is it time for a new slogan? What do you think?





11 comments:

  1. Interesting yet truthful...(like everything I read of yours)...

    In reading this I began to think of other groups who faced the same struggle in a general sense....and the pattern you describe seems to be pretty typical..when you think of racism or gender bias all of those struggles...it's like once the huge surge and fight begins to reap change those that were so hardcore do not seem to know how to act once they've achieved a large part of their goal...or they fail to see that the perhaps anger and strong will that fueled the fight initially, is not what is needed to sustain it moving forward...

    In any case..growing up my cousin was gay...in fact she came out to me when we were in high school...and it didn't phase me any, in fact she was surprised at my non-chalant attitude..she told me while we were changing for volleyball practice...she said "I'm gay."..to which I responded.."Ok...can I use your car real quick?"...lol...but from that point forward it really gave me some insight into some of the struggles she faced...and her coming out to her mother etc...but I look at her today and it's not the same struggle...it's the norm.
    (such a long rant I apologize)

    Happy Monday! :)

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  2. I'd love to agree with you, I really would, but I feel that, "We're here, we're queer; get used to it," still applies today.

    Yes, the gay community still has received more mainstream attention, and yes we're accepted a lot more now than 20 years ago, but the fact is, there are still so many people that look down on us, or as you said, try to organize into neat little stereotypes. I mean, the battle for equal rights is the big picture here. Why is it, we have to fight for equality as citizens of a country founded on equality?

    Is this slogan too aggressive? I really don't feel like it is. Sure there are different ways we can word it. As I've said in one my posts, we're here, we're queer, get over yourself. (lol) I feel like we should put it in people's faces, so maybe, just maybe, they'd open their eyes and see how closed-minded and hypocritical they're being. Don't tell me you're patriotic, and then turn your back on the basic principles that founded this country. How about equality, freedom of religion, separation of church and state?

    The truth is, we are here, we are queer, and people do need to get used to it. Too aggressive? No. It's just blunt fact. There's no more beating around the bush with these people.

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  3. I've discussed this general issue with several of my friends - some of whom are my age and, therefore, understand what Stonewall and the "gay mystery disease" were all about and others who are younger and believe that gays have made enough progress so that it is no longer necessary to "shove our asses in people's faces."

    I have to say that for me personally, I will not be satisfied until there are no more murders of military service personnel because of their sexual orientation, until same sex couples have the same legal rights as heterosexual couples, until there are no more teen suicides because of the pain of sexual identity issues, until our national, state and local laws recognize that ALL human beings regardless of their sexual identities are entitled to equal treatment etc. etc. etc. Until then the task at hand is not complete.

    Maybe it's because I grew up on the streets demonstrating against the war in Vietnam, and in support of the Civil Rights Movement, the Woman's Movement and yes even the Environmental Movement, I'm genetically programmed to shove my ass in anyone's face who doesn't "get it." But that's just me I suppose.

    Scott

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  4. To be sure, in the larger more cosmopolitan areas of the country, people have gotten used to the presence of gays and lesbians, as reflected in the media. As is the case with racism and prejudice, when people actually take the time to get to know YOU, they begin to SEE and UNDERSTAND and ACCEPT you. The Queer Nation slogan helped to move this along.

    Sometimes you have to jolt people out of their comfort zone as we can be far too comfortable holding on to and nursing our prejudices.

    It is also necessary to change the form of the message to accomodate generational changes and to keep pace with the movement of the masses. The message has to be kept alive. As someone once said, "the price of freedom is eternal vigilance." Each generation MUST take the message from the last just like relay runners and carry it forward.

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  5. JILLIAN – THANK YOU FOR YOU KIND WORDS…I LIKE THAT YOU TOOK THE TIME TO RESPOND TO THIS POST & DON’T WORRY ABOUT RANTING…I LIVE FOR THAT SH!T…

    MIKEL – I FEEL IT STILL APPLIES JUST ASKING THE QUESTION AS IT WAS POSED ON PLANETOUT’S WEBSITE…BUT I DO FEEL THAT WE NEED TO ADD MORE TO THE SLOGAN SO IT SHOWS WHO WE REALLY ARE TODAY…

    SCOTT – SHOVE AWAY, I AM ALL FOR EXPRESSION & WE AS GAY MEN & WOMEN NEED TO STAND OUR GROUND…

    THOMAS – I AGREE WITH YOU…I LOVE THE WAY YOU THINK…

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  6. Me, I honestly never have to tell people that I'm gay. They just know. I'm completely open about it and people seem to respect me for that. The issue never comes up and, lately, I never hear people make any homophobic remarks around me. I think them just knowing me, Toddy, is stance enough. They actually know an openly gay person that doesn't fit into a negative stereotype.

    Yet, to some degree, for this equal rights fight you gotta get up in their faces too. But, I don't appreciate the way the more militant bunch is turning on our ally, Barack Obama. That, to me, is just plain stupid.

    Anyway, the biggest act of protest you can commit to, as a gay or lesbian person, is to simply be real to yourself and everyone around you...No pomp and circumstance but just be yourself. Once they know we are all out there they HAVE to accept you.

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  7. Our New Motto should be "We've been here, We're not going anywhere, So get over it"

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  8. TODDY – I WONDER HOW THEY JUST KNOW YOU ARE GAY?  I FEEL THE MILITANT BUNCH NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND THAT EVERYTHING COMES IN TIME…

    TRU3LOGIC – HOPE YOU BE FIRST TO LET THE WORLD ABOUT THIS MOTTO IF IT IS CHANGED…

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  9. wow...well what can I say. Nothing queer about you, muah!

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  10. An article written by Christopher Ott on Salon in 1999 had a headline "We're here, we're queer, I'm sick of it," which talked about how the gay "agenda" morphed its focus from a political activist viewpoint to one of partying, when in reality we should've been focusing on obtaining equal rights.

    This is exactly how I feel about Caribbean Pride. I'll blog about that eventually.

    I do the think the slogan needs to change to represent the current state of society. Some societies are "getting used" to us but that doesn't mean we sit on our asses and let the transformation happen. We continue to live, prosper and grow showing our communities that we are individuals to be respected, treated and given the same rights.

    I agree with Tru3logic...We're here, We're Queer, Get over it cause we're really not going anywhere.

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  11. FROMETOMI - I WOULD LOVE TO READ THAT BLOG ENTRY...I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE RETOOLED A BIT AS WELL...YEAH THAT TRU3LOGIC IS ONTO TO SOMETHING THERE...

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