Thanks for this post. This really made me think. As a gay guy growing up at a time where there was still a lot of stigma in coming out, I always though the point of "pride" was to push back against what may be described here as a form of social control and oppression, i.e. that labeling me as "gay" meant I had to be shamed or, if not pub…
Thanks for this post. This really made me think. As a gay guy growing up at a time where there was still a lot of stigma in coming out, I always though the point of "pride" was to push back against what may be described here as a form of social control and oppression, i.e. that labeling me as "gay" meant I had to be shamed or, if not publicly shamed, separated as something different so I couldn't participate in some things in life (e.g. sports). Now that these barriers are coming down, I am confused as to what "gay culture" or "queer culture" is supposed to be and if it's really just another form of classification and control. Example: during a recent job interview, I was demerited for not having enough past specific ideas or experience I could point to in fostering a LGBT friendly culture in the workplace (besides treating everyone equally with benefits, family leave), even though they knew I was out.
Thanks for this post. This really made me think. As a gay guy growing up at a time where there was still a lot of stigma in coming out, I always though the point of "pride" was to push back against what may be described here as a form of social control and oppression, i.e. that labeling me as "gay" meant I had to be shamed or, if not publicly shamed, separated as something different so I couldn't participate in some things in life (e.g. sports). Now that these barriers are coming down, I am confused as to what "gay culture" or "queer culture" is supposed to be and if it's really just another form of classification and control. Example: during a recent job interview, I was demerited for not having enough past specific ideas or experience I could point to in fostering a LGBT friendly culture in the workplace (besides treating everyone equally with benefits, family leave), even though they knew I was out.
Seriously? That is surreal and frightening. I’m really sorry for you.