LGBT Pride Month: The Problem with Gay Culture

The Gay Liberation Movement as we know it today was born out of the Stonewall Riots of June 1969. Each year in June, we commemorate that groundbreaking event with a series of Pride parades throughout the country. Our community is still as loud and proud as ever, chanting "we're here, we're queer" as we march, waving our rainbow flags and celebrating the history and culture of our movement. That's the purpose of these parades, after all. So why, then, do I have such a problem with Pride parades and the culture we have come to embody?

Because let's face it -- when it comes down to it, Pride parades are a great party that cater to white, gay men. What happened to progression? Diversity? Visibility? We fight for inclusion within society, and yet in our own community we have failed to progress beyond what has always been the stereotypical image of the queer community -- essentially, a gay, white male community.

Sure, we lesbians make our way to Pride each year. Transgendered folks are there, too. Queer people of color, bisexuals, various religious groups, and tons of people are represented in some way -- but it's almost as though we all make up our own segregated communities. Together, we are all minorities in some way, but that does not make us immune to the effects of white privilege, racism, sexism, transphobia and other problems that create inequality within our community. We need to find a way to acknowledge and grow beyond these constraints by broadening our horizons to include religious queers, people of color, women and bisexuals. We need to show people that gender nonconformity is about more than being a butch lesbian or ultra-femme gay man. We need to focus on bringing our community together so that when we march and chant and demand visibility and inclusive diversity, we truly represent those ideals.

With the Defense of Marriage Act and the continuing protests against Prop 8, we are doomed to hear a lot about marriage this year. However, even that is a symptom of the power relations within our community. Why aren't we talking about the exclusion of trans people from ENDA? Why aren't we talking about the Jersey 4? What about gay youth and harassment in schools? There are a number of issues we should be concerned within beyond marriage equality and instead of recognizing it, we're hearing a lot of criticism of California, of Obama, and anything and everything relating to same-sex marriage. We are limiting ourselves to a dangerous degree and must begin to recognize both the diversity of people within our community and diversity of issues we are facing in order to truly progress beyond the point we have already reached.