discussion I Miss Old LGBT Culture

[GraceRandolph]

I miss when being gay/LGBT wasn’t so discussed or mainstream. I feel like ever since the mid-2010’s the corporate nature of pride and the inclusion of LGBT characters in more and more properties has kind of robbed us of what used to feel so special. I remember when gay movies were more underground, it felt like we had more of a community, whereas now straight women and casuals are often the ones leading conversations about LGBT issues.
 

I remember when Drag Race was a phenomenon among mostly gays and those in that scene. Nowadays even straight guys are fans of the show. I might be coming off as entitled, but there was just something fun about the semi-insular world of gay pop culture in the 00’s and early 10’s. Does anyone get where I’m coming from? 

Edited April 30, 2023 by GraceRandolph

[PopKills]

Haven’t lived in the gay world in the 00s and 10s so idk but it’s not like LGBTQ is seen as mainstream friendly at all where I live and I don’t really enjoy that. 

Edited April 30, 2023 by PopKills

[loveisdead9582]

In a way, yes. It definitely seems like certain things have been watered down. That said, without getting more mainstream support from all other groups, I don’t think that anti lgbt+ movements would be getting as much backlash as they have been so it’s kind of a “pick your poison” type of thing 

[BletaRexher]

I too miss the times when people could openly use the word ******

[loveisdead9582]

Just now, BletaRexher said:

I too miss the times when people could openly use the word ******

I’m going to sit here and hope you’re joking. 

[feelslikeadream]

Same, I miss cruising in Greenwich Village in the 1970s. Now queer intimacy feels so... transactional thanks to Grindr, Sniffies, etc.

[Miichael]

I don't necessarily agree about gatekeeping the community itself but I will admit it's annoying when straight people start saying "slay", "yaas", "hunty" etc after watching 2 episodes of Drag Race  And I do think the corporate nature of what Pride has become is problematic in a few ways but that's a deeper conversation, however I also try to think about the positive impact that type of messaging could have to younger LGBTQ people growing up today to not feel alone or like they aren't wanted by society, so there's pro's and con's.

[Heldenzeit]

The straights ruin everything.

[Peroxide]

7 minutes ago, Miichael said:

I don't necessarily agree about gatekeeping the community itself but I will admit it's annoying when straight people start saying "slay", "yaas", "hunty" etc after watching 2 episodes of Drag Race  And I do think the corporate nature of what Pride has become is problematic in a few ways but that's a deeper conversation, however I also try to think about the positive impact that type of messaging could have to younger LGBTQ people growing up today to not feel alone or like they aren't wanted by society, so there's pro's and con's.

Pretty much this.

[Brikenbur]

I get the whole Drag Race thing. Like, me and my friends would rush home from work on a Thursday/Friday, get to our pregame and hit the bars for the premiere. It was always an EVENT in Boystown 

[Avantpop]

this is giving millennial/boomer stop with the gatekeeping i for one cant wait until we get assimilated and nobody cares that im a *** anymore 

[KaledKalil]

Making LGBT culture more mainstream is one of the reasons gay people are less stigmatized nowadays. There is more acceptance towards gay couples, and it is thanks to shows like Will & Grace, Drag Race, and many others that can be all messy as the gays like, but still promotes us in a somewhat good light.

Also, this is part of the ever-changing generations. Gays from the 70/80s would say that they miss how secretive gay encounters were, and so on. Just get with the times and enjoy what you like, nobody is taking that away.

 

Do I feel uncomfortable when straight woman fetishizes gay men/couple, like in tv shows or in person? Yes, but at the same time, who are we to talk when we are all YAS QWEEN SHOW BOOBS or whaterver. lol

Is Drag Race being sanitized for the sake of the straight audience? Yeah, you could say so. But you can also think how good it might be for the queens now that they have the exposure to a much bigger audience. 

 

The worst part definitely is the performative actions from corporations.

 

[GraceRandolph]

12 minutes ago, Miichael said:

I don't necessarily agree about gatekeeping the community itself but I will admit it's annoying when straight people start saying "slay", "yaas", "hunty" etc after watching 2 episodes of Drag Race  And I do think the corporate nature of what Pride has become is problematic in a few ways but that's a deeper conversation, however I also try to think about the positive impact that type of messaging could have to younger LGBTQ people growing up today to not feel alone or like they aren't wanted by society, so there's pro's and con's.

I was a gay kid in the early 10’s and honestly it’s probably much better for kids nowadays who are gay, bi or trans or whatever, but I feel like so many gay topics are now first filtered through the lens of straight people first, whereas before I think gays and our issues could kind of be presented by the community itself. I miss when things were also more organized. I liked the push for DADT repeal and marriage equality. Nowadays we don’t have a clear fight/aim and instead it feels like the backslide is starting.

[cockatoo]

God I'm so glad I wasn't an adult during the 00s or the early 10s. Gay men were constantly mocked in the media and were still seen as weirdos/outcasts. I don't care if straight people watch drag race now, I'd much rather be accepted and taken seriously.

[Specter]

This just feels like misplaced romanticization that, despite good intentions, comes off as gatekeep-y and entitled.

 

The "sense of community" you mention was largely absent from the lives of older LGBTQ+ individuals, and "no mainstream representation exists for me...I feel so "special"" is not a thought anyone had

 

By all means. Talk about hyper-sexualization via hookup apps, tokenized representation feeling disingenuous and cynical for-profit decisions. Talk about how LGBTQ+ life is weaponized now by ghoulish politicians, and that one point the anonymity and lack of mainstream culture adaptation provided respite from the negative coverage of today. Hell, you can even argue for dwindling LGBTQ+ spaces, which seems to be what you're going for.

 

You can do all that without misguidedly wanting back a time when it was much, much more difficult to be queer. Slurs were normalized, the "underground" movies were suffering narratives (something that still happens a lot today), and a gay character, let alone trans, was usually comic relief.

 

And your perspective is also deeply coloured from what I assume is Western privilege. A lot of the things you are tired of in the OP are barely taking hold in countless Global South countries...

[GraceRandolph]

Just now, Phantom said:

This just feels like misplaced romanticization that, despite good intentions, comes off as gatekeep-y and entitled.

 

The "sense of community" you mention was largely absent from the lives of older LGBTQ+ individuals, and "no mainstream representation exists for me...I feel so "special"" is not a thought anyone had

 

By all means. Talk about hyper-sexualization via hookup apps, tokenized representation feeling disingenuous and cynical for-profit decisions. Talk about how LGBTQ+ life is weaponized now by ghoulish politicians, and that one point the anonymity and lack of mainstream culture adaptation provided respite from the negative coverage of today. Hell, you can even argue for dwindling LGBTQ+ spaces, which seems to be what you're going for.

 

You can do all that without misguidedly wanting back a time when it was much, much more difficult to be queer. Slurs were normalized, the "underground" movies were suffering narratives (something that still happens a lot today), and a gay character, let alone trans, was usually comic relief.

 

And your perspective is also deeply coloured from what I assume is Western privilege. A lot of the things you are tired of in the OP are barely taking hold in countless Global South countries...

My perspective is definitely Western centric, but as I’ve stated, there was real hope in the early 10’s for the gay community, and I’m afraid the fruits of that labor have been disappointing. Mediocre representation, conservative backlash, and Pete Buttigieg? Sorry, but things were a lot more optimistic a decade ago from where I’m sitting. 

[ReginaGeorge]

This whole thread is so bizarre lmao.. It’s like y’all just want all of the progress and acceptance, that’s been made, gone which is exactly the opposite of what’s good for the community. I believe the community is in a MUCH MORE positive and accepting space rn and the only way should be further, not back. 

[Odd]

I don't. 

 

I like having more LGBT movies and characters.

[GraceRandolph]

Just now, Odd said:

I don't. 

 

I like having more LGBT movies and characters.

I agree! But I do think some of my favorite representation was in the earlier period (Brokeback Mountain, Willow on Buffy) though. The unfortunate thing now is that the idea of a gay lead for a four quadrant blockbuster film seems dead after Lightyear and Stranger Worlds. 

[Into The Void]

Let's just go back to being gay in the 80s if it's so terrible now 

[Illuminati]

I don't like the idea of gatekeeping it. You can still find subcultures within the LGBT community that fit your needs imo and wanting the whole movement to regress into a secret society only benefits the homophobes

[Maxxxine]

53 minutes ago, Avantpop said:

this is giving millennial/boomer stop with the gatekeeping i for one cant wait until we get assimilated and nobody cares that im a *** anymore 

We’ve been assimilated in western society. Nobody gave AF if you were gay in the 90’s. If anything we’re regressing now and public opinion on us is becoming very much negative, thanks to all this ridiculous conversation in the media and politics and TikTok. 

[teresaguidice]

you might be romanticizing the positive aspects of marginalization which are hugely outweighed by the negative. 

 

that said, the commodification and corporatization of identity, de-fanging of activism, etc. is a disturbing aspect of current times for sure and it goes way beyond just lgbt culture. i mean, it kind of boggles my mind that all the biggest modern protest movement (BLM in 2020) could achieve 3 years out is changing some corporate HR speak and empty platitudes in advertising. 

[HausOfPunk]

...The gay community was insular and secretive because it was oppressed and criminalized. I'm in my late 20s but I remember what the 2000s were like for LGBTQ people and it was not good.  I for one am glad we are becoming more mainstream.

[BOOMBAYAH]

Are you guys being serious or joking