Queer Rights Everywhere

[nfotxn]

Queer Rights Everywhere, originally uploaded by nfotxn.

The best part about the pride parade this year is that it was lead by a very loud and agitated protest for the rights of queers around the world. This protest I think really set a nice perspective for the rest of the parade. It made me feel as if the countless corporate floats were more legitimate.

It's easy to forget that while we celebrate diversity here in other places people are tortured and killed for even appearing to have same-sex attractions. We get so enamoured with our own civil rights as queers that we forget about the human rights of others.

This is a matter of priorities.

Comments

[jawnbc]

Agreed. Can I pinch this for my blog?

[nfotxn.livejournal.com]

Absolutely. Except this is some Raelian sign. Odd.

[cpratt.livejournal.com]

Yeah... but rael.org? What the fuck do Raelians have to do with homosexuals?

[nfotxn.livejournal.com]

Oh wow they were right behind the protest with similar signs. Very sneaky! As per usual I was slow with the shutter and got THEIR sign because it had nicer graphics.

[cpratt.livejournal.com]

Might it have something to do with the need of most religious cults to recruit new members?

[nfotxn.livejournal.com]

Absolutely however there were people who weren't in the cult protesting the same message.

[bullneck.livejournal.com]

It is awesome to see a global view of homosexual rights on display at the parade. Not sure if it legitimizes the corporatization of Gay Pride, but it sure as hell puts things into perspective on gay rights in the 1st World vs. gay rights elsewhere.

[nfotxn.livejournal.com]

I think there is a very legitimate place for sponsorship in pride parades. I mean something the size and scale of TO Pride? It doesn't happen without private money. If we want a non-corporate community pride well let's start right now, we'll throw it on our own.

That's right, nobody wants to do it without getting paid. And in most big cities there are some really awesome professionals putting on festivities that take money from corporate interests, represent them but still focus on the needs of the community first and foremost. It's the best of both worlds.

[shawnsyms.livejournal.com]

I agree with your observations!

[gmjambear]

I concur.

[profundis.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad to see this getting some "air time" as I've been seething over it for some time now...I get tired of hearing fags in the Western world act like its the second coming of Hitler every time some local ordinance doesn't go their way. Oh sure, we have plenty to fight for here, but for serious - ppl are getting beheaded in the Middle East for shit we take for granted here.

[sluggobear.livejournal.com]

Totally.

[profundis.livejournal.com]

I sometimes chat with a young man from Iran and he's having to sneak in chat time when he's not being pressed into military service, and he lives in fear of being found out and killed. It really puts "little shit" into the right perspective. I may think its very important that gays be allowed to marry if they want, but at least here we don't have to hide for our lives anymore (in general - not counting Montana).

[sunsmogseahorse.livejournal.com]

I love how a message like that gets labeled as racist or culturally hegemonic. Bullshit. I don't care what your culture or religion or ethnicity is, I'm enraged by crazy people beheading us.

[nfotxn.livejournal.com]

Yeah I was thinking about this too. It would be very easy to cut into some weird conserva-gay "yeah bomb all the sand niggers!" mode from here. But that's not how a I roll. It's like torture anywhere, it's just not acceptable.

[profundis.livejournal.com]

On the same token you get the libera-queers apolgizing for entire cultures or faiths based on "its just their culture or religious expression", etc which is equally BS when people are being killed and maimed over those same things.

[sunsmogseahorse.livejournal.com]

But we're expected to hold our tongues and pens when it comes to wrongdoing by other cultures.

[boy-london.livejournal.com]

That is so fucking wrong! It makes me sick