“I tend to forget what the LGBT people had to go through to get here”
I‘m an almost 30 (shut up), straight, white, over average height, dark-haired man. For me, life couldn’t be any easier. Statistically speaking. When I complain about something it’s like Paris Hilton complaining about her diamond shoes being too tight. Or Justin Timberlake complaining about a lack of topless women in his music video.
Therefore it’s important to try to be aware about the community, with a heavy emphasis on “unity”. So, for example, when girls go out slut-walking it should, and in fact is, supported by the masses. And next weekend, when the most colorful parade of them all is held, it should be, and in fact is, celebrated and rejoiced. I may not put on over the top make up, a leotard and heels, strutting my stuff on a float singing Bad Romance by Lady Gaga, but god damn it, I rejoice.
As I drive through life on my privilege-driven white straight male-mobile I tend to forget what the LGBT people had to go through to get here. And “here” is off course a common social acceptance in our part of the world.
When we’re about to take gay rights for granted they slap our faces with the loudest, most colorful and glittery parade of all parades.
Forget the Independence day, June 17th. That’s too early in the summer, it’s always raining and the entertainment evolves around hyper active children, hopped up on cotton candy. In others words, our Independence day is not a party. The gay pride is. And these days, when countries like Russia decide to make a human right U-turn, it’s extremely important.
So, go out. Bring the kids. The chap-wearing leather daddies won’t bite (unless you want them to) so it’s not uncommon to hear a five-year old, with a rainbow painted on its face, pull its mothers hand saying: “Mommy, look at the leather daddy!” That’s probably the most beautiful thing about the parade. All kinds of people supporting and accepting — supporting the hard-fought for rights and accepting the versatility.
The gay pride may be colorful. And loud. But it wasn’t always that way so we must never take it for granted. Especially not us white straight males.
Atli Fannar Bjarkason works at Althingi for the Bright Future Party and hosts a radio show on the radio station Xið.