Pride Month’s Original Message Lost in a Sea of Performative Gestures

[Patong2021]

30 minutes ago, quake said:

 

Don't know any of  these type of people.

But I'm sure you do. 

 

 

Not personally, but I would see them as I cut through Bangla to get to my crib. When I was in Pattaya, they were all over walking street. And of course  they are regularly profiled here on AN like the Sri Lanka man who was rebuffed when the tranny hooker he was trying to molest, turned the tables on him.

[AgMech Cowboy]

8 hours ago, Social Media said:

why was this message necessary at all?

EXACTLY!

[ThreeCardMonte]

3 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

 

As late as 75.

 

I’m more than a bit surprised.

 

Would you support a straight pride month?

 

[Patong2021]

17 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

Never heard of him. Clearly not a Pynchon, or Salinger, or Tolkien. Looks like he was A homosexual polemicist trying to justify

a lifestyle that has damaged children for years.

 

If you have never heard of him, how would you know  what he was? What does a homosexual polemicist look like? Do they have a big gay stamp on their forehead?   And how would he justify a lifestyle that has damaged children, if he was an adult , living as an adult and not writing children's  novels? Have you been hitting the weed again?

[Chomper Higgot]

5 minutes ago, ThreeCardMonte said:

Would you support a straight pride month?

 

Yes, if there’s people who want to do that.

I don’t see a problem with it.

 

 

 

[Yagoda]

4 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

 

If you have never heard of him, how would you know  what he was? What does a homosexual polemicist look like? Do they have a big gay stamp on their forehead?   And how would he justify a lifestyle that has damaged children, if he was an adult , living as an adult and not writing children's  novels? Have you been hitting the weed again?

Have you read anyhting by him?

[ThreeCardMonte]

A few years ago while on a walk from Pratumnak to Jomtien along that long beech side soi I encountered a parade in progress in Jomtien.

 

Unaware it was gay pride month.

 

I observed for a few minutes. A few floats with ladyboys went by.  No big deal as they’re all over and it’s their country.  Some quite pretty.

 

Then a float with hairy fat farangs in g-strings  and Fido dog masks comes by.  I believe they refer to themselves as “bears”

 

OK,  I have seen enough and decided to walk back to Pratumnak.

 

 

[Yagoda]

7 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

What does a homosexual polemicist look like?

 

"Once he kissed me, the frog would turn into a prince. I had become a trick question, a heavy disguise, but behind the disobliging exterior was the welcoming child I would always be. "

https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/15975.Edmund_White

[Patong2021]

4 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

Have you read anyhting by him?

 

Do you want to have a discussion, like an Oprah Book Club kind of thing? Or do you want a suggestion?  If so, you could try this one.  I am sure you will find it helpful on those dark and rain filled nights in Cambodia. And don't worry, I don't judge.

 

 

 

[Chomper Higgot]

11 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

Have you read anyhting by him?

That’s a very odd question given your earlier post:

 

33 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

Never heard of him. Clearly not a Pynchon, or Salinger, or Tolkien. Looks like he was A homosexual polemicist trying to justify

a lifestyle that has damaged children for years.

 

[Patong2021]

6 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

 

"Once he kissed me, the frog would turn into a prince. I had become a trick question, a heavy disguise, but behind the disobliging exterior was the welcoming child I would always be. "

https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/15975.Edmund_White

 

The phrasing is used as a metaphor. As usual, you have taken the sentence out of context.

“There was something stubborn in me that didn't want to lose weight to attract a man. If the right man came along, he'd be able to see my virtues magically. Once he kissed me, the frog would turn into a prince. I had become a trick question, a heavy disguise, but behind the disobliging exterior was the welcoming child I would always be. Of course, what I'd forgotten was that he was not Parsifal and I was not the Grail; the medievalism of my imagination was not sufficiently up-to-date to recognize that the lover was a shopper and I a product.”

 

It is quite obvious that he is referring to his adult state of delusion, that Mr. Right would come along and transform him. The reference to "child" is in respect to his state of mind, as being innocent and young, even though his appearance was unattractive.  Reading comprehension is obviously not one of your  skills. I think that a high school  student could understand the imagery. It had nothing to do with children and was a baring look at his own self. A powerful introspective  statement.

 

 

[ThreeCardMonte]

3 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

You can chose not to participate or simply ignore. It wouldn't affect your life one bit. It is just not only performative gestures but a historic reminder of the Stonewall Riots and police brutality against  LGBTQ. 

Fine, but why an entire MONTH.

 

One day is plenty.

[EVENKEEL]

1 hour ago, Patong2021 said:

Harvey Milk was a navy veteran serving during the Korean War. He served aboard the submarine rescue ship USS Kittiwake) as a diving officer and then as a diving instructor in San Diego.  After almost 4 years, he was forced out , given the option of resigning  and receiving an other than honourable discharge or facing court martial for being  gay. Years later, the USN allegedly attempted to  cover up the injustice with a document that said he had been given an honourable discharge. Milk had always said he had been mistreated with the forced less than honourable designation.  Aside from the gay thing, the man had an unblemished service record. He conducted his gay affairs on shore at  his own off base living space, while off duty.

 

It is therefore reasonable that he be honoured with a small vessel named after him. There are incompetent naval captains who have damaged their vessels who were treated better.

 

So he wasn't a pedophile?  Cause that's the word on the streets.

[quake]

1 hour ago, ThreeCardMonte said:

Would you support a straight pride month?

 

 

It was done a few months back in the states. not sure what state it was in.

And funny enough, most of the usual suspects that are on this thread.

went into meltdown.

Ranting, Homophobes, This is disgusting, This is Vile, Haters always Hate. and so on.

It was hilarious.

 

 

 

 

[Baht Simpson]

10 hours ago, Social Media said:

 

Pride Month’s Original Message Lost in a Sea of Performative Gestures

 

As June rolls around each year, rainbow flags spring up in storefronts, corporations rebrand with vibrant hues, and public institutions declare their support for LGBTQIA+ communities. Yet increasingly, the sentiment behind these displays is being questioned, not for the values they represent, but for the seeming hollowness of their execution. What once stood as a bold call for justice and equal rights now appears, to many, to be a spectacle of performative virtue.

 

 

Take, for instance, a recent post from South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue. Their official Facebook page featured three employees with brightly painted faces—two adorned with the rainbow colours of the Pride flag, the third with the blue, pink, and white of the transgender flag. “We’re proud to stand with our LGBT+ communities this Pride season and beyond,” the caption read. “Fire doesn’t discriminate. No matter who needs us, we’ll always be there.” It’s a commendable sentiment on the surface, but the question remains: why was this message necessary at all?

 

After all, fire brigades have never required citizens to disclose their sexuality before receiving help. No emergency operator has asked a caller whether they are gay or straight before dispatching firefighters to a burning home. Even in the less tolerant decades of the past, emergency services were not known to withhold help based on sexual orientation. So, what is the message truly meant to accomplish? It feels more like a case of stating the obvious, which makes the fanfare around it seem bewildering.

 

Similar confusion greeted Air Canada’s announcement of its first “all-2SLGBTQIA+ flight,” featuring a crew that identified across the expansive spectrum of sexual and gender identities—lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and “two-spirit.” While inclusivity in the workplace is important, it’s unclear what this particular gesture achieved. Most passengers boarding a flight are concerned about safety, punctuality, and comfort—not the spiritual balance of the pilot’s gender identity. “Congratulations to all involved,” the commentary went, “but again, what was the point?”

 

Even Britain’s intelligence services have joined the movement. Sir Richard Moore, head of MI6, declared that the agency is flying the Pride flag for all of June, and publicly affirmed that “your sexual orientation is no bar to you working and thriving at MI6.” This is a significant and welcome change compared to the agency’s past, when being gay could disqualify a person from serving. But is such a declaration still necessary in 2025? Moore also lists his pronouns—“he/him”—on social media, a move that some see as progressive, others as unnecessary. After all, he is titled “Sir,” and the clue about his gender seems hard to miss.

 

In the United States, a different trend is emerging. According to Newsweek, fewer corporations are adopting rainbow-coloured logos this year. Whether this is due to backlash, ridicule from political figures like Donald Trump, or simple consumer fatigue, many suspect it’s because people have started to recognize these gestures as marketing tactics rather than meaningful support. Companies that eagerly fly the Pride flag in Western markets often remain conspicuously silent in countries where LGBTQIA+ rights are under real threat.

 

Meanwhile, in the UK, the so-called “lanyard class”—a term coined by Labour peer Lord Glasman to describe a socially conscious elite prone to moral grandstanding—remains deeply committed to public displays of inclusivity. But these actions may be having the opposite effect. As equality under the law is now largely guaranteed, especially in democratic nations like Britain, the constant signaling can come across as pandering rather than progress.

 

No one denies that discrimination still exists, and Pride Month retains a meaningful place in history. But today, its most visible expressions often feel like vanity projects for institutions and corporations seeking easy applause. Instead of empowering the marginalized, the spectacle increasingly seems to serve those already in power—turning what was once a courageous fight for equality into little more than a polished PR campaign.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Daily Telegraph  2025-06-06

 

 

 

The Telegraph (author unknown) seem to think they have just discovered the problem of Rainbow Capitalism. This has been a worry for the LGBT community for many years and has been a constant point of discussion. The issue is companies who pretend to support LGBT+ to promote sales, who then disappear when they're asked to provide real support. In the U.S. a lot of these companies have allowed themselves to be spooked by the government and Christian Nationalists and in that case it's probably good riddance. 

 

The problem is that LGBT+ can't stop companies displaying a Pride flag if they want. That's just freedom of expression. 

[Baht Simpson]

36 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

So he wasn't a pedophile?  Cause that's the word on the streets.

No he wasn't.  It was just another homophobic slur put about by people like you to discredit him. 

 

https://jacobin.com/2023/06/harvey-milk-lgbtq-history-temecula-california-school-board-curriculum

[thesetat]

10 hours ago, Social Media said:

So, what is the message truly meant to accomplish? It feels more like a case of stating the obvious, which makes the fanfare around it seem bewildering.

Their was no message except : Hey, Look at us! We got our own show now and parade and events just to fluant our insanity!

[Chomper Higgot]

1 minute ago, thesetat said:

Their was no message except : Hey, Look at us! We got our own show now and parade and events just to fluant our insanity!

You don’t have to look.

 

 

[Baht Simpson]

1 hour ago, ThreeCardMonte said:

Would you support a straight pride month?

 

After two thousand years of straight people being oppressed, yes I would. 🙂

[thesetat]

16 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

You don’t have to look.

 

 

I didn't.....

[Yagoda]

1 hour ago, Patong2021 said:

 

Do you want to have a discussion, like an Oprah Book Club kind of thing? Or do you want a suggestion?  If so, you could try this one.  I am sure you will find it helpful on those dark and rain filled nights in Cambodia. And don't worry, I don't judge.

 

 

 

What page do you reccomend to the membership here? 

 

Dont worry we dont judge. We feel bad for your mental state and whatever happened in your youth or in prison, but we dont judge. Therapy would help.

[Yagoda]

1 hour ago, Patong2021 said:

 

The phrasing is used as a metaphor. As usual, you have taken the sentence out of context.

“There was something stubborn in me that didn't want to lose weight to attract a man. If the right man came along, he'd be able to see my virtues magically. Once he kissed me, the frog would turn into a prince. I had become a trick question, a heavy disguise, but behind the disobliging exterior was the welcoming child I would always be. Of course, what I'd forgotten was that he was not Parsifal and I was not the Grail; the medievalism of my imagination was not sufficiently up-to-date to recognize that the lover was a shopper and I a product.”

 

It is quite obvious that he is referring to his adult state of delusion, that Mr. Right would come along and transform him. The reference to "child" is in respect to his state of mind, as being innocent and young, even though his appearance was unattractive.  Reading comprehension is obviously not one of your  skills. I think that a high school  student could understand the imagery. It had nothing to do with children and was a baring look at his own self. A powerful introspective  statement.

 

 

Sure whatever you say. Glad you are an expert in Homosexual propaganda, perhaps you would be better off by studying the US constitution.

[James105]

5 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

You can chose not to participate or simply ignore. It wouldn't affect your life one bit. It is just not only performative gestures but a historic reminder of the Stonewall Riots and police brutality against  LGBTQ. 

 

It's also serves as a reminder about these gay guys that were allowed to adopt children as liberal leftists say that gay men should be able to raise children just like straight couples.   This "family" will not be celebrating pride month as a family as the 2 "fathers" in this image are currently serving 100 years each in jail for raping their adopted children.   

 

"Pride month" is about sex and who people desire to have sex with.  Yes it was illegal in the distant past which has now been corrected, and I've no problem with what likeminded folks get up to with consenting like minded adults amongst themselves, but when it encroaches outside of those boundaries onto the streets, into the schools, and even into the lives of adopted children then it has gone a bit too far.  I want gay people to be treated like everyone else whose sex lives I could not care less about, but that does require them to behave like everyone else and not demand a month to demonstrably celebrate the type of person they want to have sex with.       

 

[CG1 Blue]

7 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

How does anyone who has died for their country get to have a say in anything, they’re dead?!

 

Perhaps take time to learn about those gay men and women who did die for their country, here’s just one example:

 

https://www.forcesnews.com/lgbtq/absolute-legends-gay-hero-battle-britain

Are gay war heros excluded from Remembrance Sunday etc?

Maybe you think gay war heros should be celebrated separately. Bit divisive that...

[Baht Simpson]

55 minutes ago, James105 said:

 

It's also serves as a reminder about these gay guys that were allowed to adopt children as liberal leftists say that gay men should be able to raise children just like straight couples.   This "family" will not be celebrating pride month as a family as the 2 "fathers" in this image are currently serving 100 years each in jail for raping their adopted children.   

 

"Pride month" is about sex and who people desire to have sex with.  Yes it was illegal in the distant past which has now been corrected, and I've no problem with what likeminded folks get up to with consenting like minded adults amongst themselves, but when it encroaches outside of those boundaries onto the streets, into the schools, and even into the lives of adopted children then it has gone a bit too far.  I want gay people to be treated like everyone else whose sex lives I could not care less about, but that does require them to behave like everyone else and not demand a month to demonstrably celebrate the type of person they want to have sex with.       

 

Preposterous to equate these monsters with being pedophiles because they're gay. I don't know about the U.S. but there have been numerous instances over the years in the U.K. of straight couples abusing their children including murder. Do I think it's because they're straight? Of course not. That's ludicrous. 

 

There was an instance a few years ago of a straight couple who insisted that their adopted child be special needs so they could abuse him better. Absolutely unbelievable. But that doesn't mean you stop straight people from adopting. These dreadful people abuse children because they are attracted to children, not because they're attracted to people of the opposite sex or same sex. 

 

I'm afraid your post was just meant to liken LGBT+ people to pedophiles to serve your strange narrative. 

 

You say you want gay people to be treated like everyone else but not be able to adopt or have freedom of assembly at Pride. And you make the incorrect assertion that Pride is all about sex. Sexuality is important but not all that Pride is about, which I thought would be self evident.

 

Why are you lot so obsessed about pedophilia?

[Baht Simpson]

33 minutes ago, CG1 Blue said:

Are gay war heros excluded from Remembrance Sunday etc?

Maybe you think gay war heros should be celebrated separately. Bit divisive that...

Probably our most famous war hero was chemically castrated for being gay and took his own life. He's now celebrated on a fifty pound note.

[Magictoad]

7 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Nobody supports ‘transing the kids’.

 

Its not a thing
 

It is in the UK or has been until very recently when the highest court in the land stepped in to explain the difference between a man and a woman. In the UK toddlers can banned from school for being " transphobic"...I kid you not! Approximately 90 infant have been found guilty of transphobia in English Infant schools in the last two years.

[Baht Simpson]

1 hour ago, Yagoda said:

Sure whatever you say. Glad you are an expert in Homosexual propaganda, perhaps you would be better off by studying the US constitution.

So was Kate Bush's "The Man With The Child In His Eyes" about a pedophile? You do make me laugh. 🙂

[Yagoda]

9 minutes ago, Baht Simpson said:

So was Kate Bush's "The Man With The Child In His Eyes" about a pedophile? You do make me laugh. 🙂

I have no idea, who is Kate Bush?

 

Reality test: Do you think men can become women just by saying so

[mikebike]

2 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

Reality test: Do you think men can become women just by saying so

I think you are so deep into your own existence that you cannot imagine, in any way whatsoever, anyone else's. In REALITY gender is a spectrum not a line. Casually awaiting your insane response...