The lack of Pride seasonal events is super disrespectful to the trans community

[Midareyukki]

Sweetie, it says "play the game", not "lurk on the forums". Welcome to Hell, but give us a second, Satan is having his third nervous breakdown after reading half the posts written today. Poor guy can't catch a break.

[Saimeren]

I have an honest genuine question.

Why do LGBTQ+ need festivals, parades and events based around them having a crush on someone? Does being gay/trans make you special in some way? If so, what way? Why does a guy liking another guy make you any different from a guy liking a girl?

Nobody really cares who you like kissing. For a large population of the western world, this isn't an issue. Nobody cares and you're not special.

Why do people insist on getting special treatment for having romantic feelings for someone? And why do you think you deserve it more than typically straight people?

And this isn't me being homo/transphobic. This is me telling you that you're not any more special than anyone else and shouldn't get an event based around your specific lifestyle/ romantic interests.

People don't care if you're gay/trans. What people care about is someone thinking they're more deserving than others because of it and go around telling people they deserve special treatment.

And being gay/trans shouldn't be what defines you. You shouldn't be "Mark the gay guy". You should be "Steve, a good guy who also happens to be gay"

You're just another person and nobody cares.

Edit: What's disrespectful is you thinking you deserve an event based around you that I don't simply because you have a crush on someone that I don't. What's disrespectful is you thinking you deserve more than others.

[Nestama]

Why do LGBTQ+ need festivals, parades and events based around them having a crush on someone? Does being gay/trans make you special in some way? If so, what way? Why does a guy liking another guy make you any different from a guy liking a girl?

Look up Stonewall Riots. Also need to understand that people who are LGBTQ+ often can't "express" who they are during their school years (or even home life because of intolerant parents), so Pride Parades are where they can do this: to be proud of who they are.

[Midareyukki]

I have an honest genuine question.

Why do LGBTQ+ need festivals, parades and events based around them having a crush on someone? Does being gay/trans make you special in some way? If so, what way? Why does a guy liking another guy make you any different from a guy liking a girl?

Nobody really cares who you like kissing. For a large population of the western world, this isn't an issue. Nobody cares and you're not special.

Why do people insist on getting special treatment for having romantic feelings for someone? And why do you think you deserve it more than typically straight people?

And this isn't me being homo/transphobic. This is me telling you that you're not any more special than anyone else and shouldn't get an event based around your specific lifestyle/ romantic interests.

People don't care if you're gay/trans. What people care about is someone thinking they're more deserving than others because of it and go around telling people they deserve special treatment.

And being gay/trans shouldn't be what defines you. You shouldn't be "Steve the gay guy". You should be "Steve, a good guy who also happens to be gay"

You're just another person and nobody cares.

Edit: What's disrespectful is you thinking you deserve an event based around you that I don't simply because you have a crush on someone that I don't. What's disrespectful is you thinking you deserve more than others.

Your edit is exactly why they need it.

If we're "just another person and nobody cares", why aren't we left alone? Why all the laws deciding our inclusion or exclusion? Why can't we have a man or a woman kiss another man or a woman in the screen? To you, we may have that, no one would care, right? Yet so many people care.

Saimeren, it's Pride Month, and we all know it's the time for companies to try and milk it for money. Riot Games added Graves x TF emotes in League of Legends. A pair that was allegedly intended from the beginning, but couldn't due to cultural constraints. And even now, you have people raging aginst it.

If no one cares, no one would care about emotes, right?

"And being gay/trans shouldn't be what defines you." It isn't, nor does it. But it IS a part of who I am. And unfortunately for me, it's a part of me that makes me a target of discrimination. Heavy discrimination in some countries. Enough to deny me health care at times. It shouldn't define me. Yet the moment I say I like my boyfriend the same as a straight person likes their spouse, boom, I'm cast out.

Is that fair?

So people took to the streets to protest against that unfair behaviour. If it really doesn't matter, then let it not matter, god damn it.

Until then? We're proud of who we are. Accountants, doctors, police officers, lawyers, tailors, cleaning staff, cobblers, teachers... but who also happen to be gay.

THAT'S what it means. So think about that. Because if all that was obvious to you, then this answer really should as well.

[Saimeren]

Look up Stonewall Riots. Also need to understand that people who are LGBTQ+ often can't "express" who they are during their school years (or even home life because of intolerant parents), so Pride Parades are where they can do this: to be proud of who they are.

I understand that there are a lot of people out there that aren't allowed to be themselves. Whether for fear of persecution/harassment, or even physical violence against them. I feel incredibly bad for them that they have to go through life hiding who they are. I'm also proud of the people who can. The ones that are openly gay/trans. The ones that were/are able to come out to their friends and family and be accepted.

But being gay doesn't make them special. It doesn't change who they are as people. They're still just regular people like everyone else. And a good chunk of the western world doesn't care whether someone is gay or not. It doesn't affect me in any way at all.

I don't care if you're gay/trans. Stop insisting that I should. You're just a regular person, and; in my opinion; should be treated as such. Which conversely means, that you shouldn't get special treatment for it. Just live your life and stop making a fuss about it.

Constantly shoving it in people's faces just makes the LGBTQ+ community look bad to people who aren't a part of it. It comes off as preachy.

Representation is good. I'm all for having gay characters in video games. It really doesn't affect me all that much as long as it's done well. Like my statement above, it shouldn't define a person's personality. They shouldn't be "Mark the gay guy". They should be "Steve, a good guy who also happens to be gay".

WoW did this in Shadowlands. Two central characters to one of the zones are gay. They didn't overtly come out and say "Hi! We're gay!". They just happened to be two married men; and would occasionally call each other "my love" or "My husband". Which is great. It's not pushy. It's not in your face. But it's there and we know it's there. That should be the same with regular every day people. Don't be pushy about it. Most people don't care to know that kind of info about you on first meeting. Be Steve, not Mark.

[Saimeren]

Your edit is exactly why they need it.

If we're "just another person and nobody cares", why aren't we left alone? Why all the laws deciding our inclusion or exclusion? Why can't we have a man or a woman kiss another man or a woman in the screen? To you, we may have that, no one would care, right? Yet so many people care.

Saimeren, it's Pride Month, and we all know it's the time for companies to try and milk it for money. Riot Games added Graves x TF emotes in League of Legends. A pair that was allegedly intended from the beginning, but couldn't due to cultural constraints. And even now, you have people raging aginst it.

If no one cares, no one would care about emotes, right?

"And being gay/trans shouldn't be what defines you." It isn't, nor does it. But it IS a part of who I am. And unfortunately for me, it's a part of me that makes me a target of discrimination. Heavy discrimination in some countries. Enough to deny me health care at times. It shouldn't define me. Yet the moment I say I like my boyfriend the same as a straight person likes their spouse, boom, I'm cast out.

Is that fair?

So people took to the streets to protest against that unfair behaviour. If it really doesn't matter, then let it not matter, god damn it.

Until then? We're proud of who we are. Accountants, doctors, police officers, lawyers, tailors, cleaning staff, cobblers, teachers... but who also happen to be gay.

THAT'S what it means. So think about that. Because if all that was obvious to you, then this answer really should as well.

I can get behind all of this. Honestly, you should be regarded as just another person. Like I said, you being gay/trans has no affect on me what so ever. It's really sad that there are a lot of people out there that can't see past their own prejudices to the person on the other side. It's incredibly unfortunate that people are physically violent toward the LGBTQ+ community for what's essentially no reason at all.

But asking for special treatment doesn't help matters. You should be asking for equality, not a special parade/event/whatever to celebrate one specific aspect of your personality/identity, that ideally shouldn't define who you are as a person. It should just be another aspect of who you are, not the first thing that comes up.

Edit: We're seeing more and more LGBTQ+ representation in modern media now. Movies and TV shows are slowly working on it. We're getting there. Or at least trying to get there. It's a small step, but a step none the less. Trying to normalize LGBTQ+ should be the priority, not make it a big deal where people feel it needs special observation/attention.

Like I said, it's really not that big of a deal. It should just be seen as a normal part of someone's identity, and not something that makes you special. Different; maybe.. But not special.

[Midareyukki]

Ok let's have fun because you're boring me now.

I understand that there are a lot of people out there that aren't allowed to be themselves. Whether for fear of persecution/harassment, or even physical violence against them. I feel incredibly bad for them that they have to go through life hiding who they are. I'm also proud of the people who can. The ones that are openly gay/trans. The ones that were/are able to come out to their friends and family and be accepted.

You could have stopped at that. Legit all we want to hear. All anyone with a pair of functioning neurons wants to hear.

But being gay doesn't make them special.

Yeah. It doesn't make them special. But then why are people insisting we're so different to the point of being denied basic rights? Being denied decency? Even something as banal as making a cake for two men's wedding?

I don't care if you're gay/trans. Stop insisting that I should ... Just live your life and stop making a fuss about it.

Who's insisting? xD Are they people with working neurons? Or you mad at the parades?

You don't care, great, we don't either. Be who you want to be. Good you see us as people like everyone else. You're one of honestly not that many.

Constantly shoving it in people's faces just makes the LGBTQ+ community look bad to people who aren't a part of it.

...so us having a month dedicated to us demanding rights and recognition, making parades to show people we demand those things while having our efforts and work be swept under the rug is so bad? Alan Turing would have a field day, my dear. Go google why he died.

Representation is good. I'm all for having gay characters in video games. It really doesn't affect me all that much as long as it's done well. Like my statement above, it shouldn't define a person's personality. They shouldn't be "Mark the gay guy". They should be "Steve, a good guy who also happens to be gay".

... Be Steve, not Mark.

Except what companies like is Queer Catching.

We're angrier about it than you are.

Because we see it for what it is, and it saddens us. To be told that the best anyone can do is a pacifier on a baby than treating us like actual people.

Maybe we wouldn't sound so whiny if people treated us right to begin with. Because we are so tired of this.

Rose McGowan voice: Imagine how tired we are :\

[Midareyukki]

snip

But that's the thing. We made a parade and there's a whole month "dedicated" to us (really just a marketing stunt at this point...) so that people were aware we were the same as them.

When you have a company make a couple that comes out as "Hi, we're the gay guyssss ;D", it's insulting for us more than it's irritating for you. No one wants to be special, no one wants to be "GAY :tm:". We want equality. To not be judged for who we feel like we are or who we bed. But rather what we do and say and contribute (or not) to society.

I mentioned Alan Turing before. Without him, WW2 would have gone differently. And we likely wouldn't have computers being built the way they are now. Yet all that got thrown into the bin because he was gay. And that still happens. Contributions of people being ignored because they're LGBT. If it's a goodone , either that part of the person is erased from the record while they suffer discrimination while alive, or the credit goes to someone else.

We have Pride Parades because people still do that. We're erased from history, credit goes elsewhere. Gay people were always around, yet people think that it's a modern invention, a product of 70's hippies. Gays in history are erased and demonized by so many institutions. We're not special, but we're made to be.

If it looks garish and irritating, it's because it's meant to be. To bring people's attentions and not let them divert their eyes.

I agree that people who solely\primarily define them as being LGBT need to calm down and reconsider life, but they're not the only ones in society to do this. Nor are they the whole movement. Because that's what this is. It's about a social movement.

You mentioned WoW, which I grossly misread. And what you said about representation? Spot-on. That's all we wanted, for our relationships to be portrayed onto the big screen with the same casual tone and ease as a straight relationship would. And when that fails, when people's attentions are brought to the idea that "THIS CHARACTER IS GAY, LOOK AT HOW GAY, SEE? HE'S GAY. GAAAAY", then that's not a good representation at all. It's Queer Catching at best, downright insulting at worst. And that maybe also pushes for those irritating people who do the same about themselves. Because no gay person should have a giant neon sign aimed at their sexuality. At best, they should open about it. And being open is entirely normal as well. Straight people tend to be.

But please understand that the existence of a parade isn't inherently bad. Maybe you disagree with what it's causing, and that's valid, because people who just want to live their lives should do so. And not turn one trait into a lifestyle. But that's not the norm, and I think you know it. And if you do... please keep that in mind?

And yes, I use "gay" as a general umbrella term for LGBTQ people. Can also be bi, pan, trans, ace, really whatever.

[Saimeren]

Ok let's have fun because you're boring me now.

That's rude. "tearing apart" my comment like this is rude. I'm literally trying to learn about why this is a big issue, and you're treating me like shit over it.

Yeah. It doesn't make them special. But then why are people insisting we're so different to the point of being denied basic rights? Being denied decency? Even something as banal as making a cake for two men's wedding?

I don't know. I can't answer this part. It honestly doesn't make any sense to me.

Who's insisting? xD Are they people with working neurons? Or you mad at the parades?

Not mad at anything. Just questioning the need for them. Questioning why they're a thing in the first place. A lot of the time, the LGBTQ+ community doesn't come out and say "having a month dedicated to us demanding rights and recognition, making parades to show people we demand those things while having our efforts and work be swept under the rug". Or at least I've never once heard any of the gay/trans people who take part in the parades explain it like that. I've only ever heard that it's basically just a party to show off THAT you're gay, without much of a message or meaning behind it. Every interview I've seen of people in the parades has them basically only saying "We're gay and we're proud".. Which is fine.. It's not a bad thing to be proud of yourself. But expand on the actual reason. Educate people on the prejudices outside of "people don't like us". (Like you did. Giving an actual explanation as to why Pride month is a thing is better than just saying "Hi everyone! I'm gay!"

You don't care, great, we don't either. Be who you want to be. Good you see us as people like everyone else. You're one of honestly not that many.

I think there's a lot more supporters out there than you might realize. If not outright supporters, people who are indifferent. Yes, there are a lot of people who give hate to the community. Yes they're also very loud. And yes there is violence. But that doesn't mean it's a majority.

...so us having a month dedicated to us demanding rights and recognition, making parades to show people we demand those things while having our efforts and work be swept under the rug is so bad? Alan Turing would have a field day, my dear. Go google why he died.

The very first thing I said/asked on this thread was a question trying to get an educated answer about why Pride month is a thing, and why it's so important. I; and a lot of people I know; (mostly younger people in the younger generations) don't see it as a big deal. Being gay isn't something that I think about when first meeting someone, because as stated, it doesn't affect my at all who you date. So to me, seeing a pride festival/parade where people aren't giving educated answers about why it's there and only giving "Hi! We're GAY!" answers, doesn't help matters. It doesn't teach anyone anything, and all it does is come off as pushy and preachy. As an ambassador of the LGBTQ+ community, you should opt to educate people, not tear them down for being ignorant.

Because we see it for what it is, and it saddens us. To be told that the best anyone can do is a pacifier on a baby than treating us like actual people.

Maybe we wouldn't sound so whiny if people treated us right to begin with. Because we are so tired of this.

From what I can tell, WoW did treat those characters like regular people. Like I said, they were just two good characters, central to the plot that also happened to be gay. They didn't wave a sign above their heads, or have flashing lights, they didn't overtly come out and state "We're gay!". They just had them BE a gay couple without it being pushy. They were just regular every day people. But they gave very clear signs that they were gay. It wasn't something that was hidden. It was right there in the text. It was right there in the story. It wasn't something you could just gloss over. But it wasn't obnoxious and over the top.

And from what I was reading on the forums after the launch; there was a lot of hate from the idiots that don't have working neurons; but a lot of the LGBTQ+ community were good with it. They appreciated how it was handled. There were a handful of people asking for more, saying that it should have been more overt, or more than just two characters, but it's a start. It's a step in the door. And now that the door is open, they can do more with it in the future. It's not going to happen over night.

[Saimeren]

Snip.

This is exactly everything that needed to be said. This is educating, this is understanding, this isn't trying to tear someone down for asking a question.

I agree with what you're saying. I was merely trying to find the reason behind the perceived "I'm gay and I'm special" mentality behind the parades and pride month. I never meant any disrespect, and if any of my comments or posts came off as such, I apologize for it. Not just to you, but to any gay/trans people reading this that I might have offended.

I just didn't understand why it was a big deal to have the flashy parade when; to me; you're no different than I am. So; to me; it came off as "I'm special and you're not because I have a very slight difference in my identity". And I think a lot of people see it that way.

I think there are a lot of people out there that don't really understand why being gay is so offensive, or why it's even a big deal. Sure, there are angry ragers who hate for the sake of hating, and I understand that the very loud aggressive people can seem like a majority when you get it so often. But I also think a lot of people simply need to hear this (the post I'm replying to) message to understand why you're so dedicated to pride month.

When someone sees gay/trans as a non-issue, we see Pride month as "look at me, I'm special" and not "We want to be respected and taken seriously for who we are and not beaten down and discriminated simply for one small aspect of our lives".

It's a very important distinction, and I get that now thanks to you and the post you just made about it.