Well This Is Obnoxious
Everything I’m about to say is in response to this video (Warning: Video contains obnoxious cursing so maybe don’t watch it at work). So watch it or you’ll be lost.
I first saw this video weeks ago and my initial reaction was, “Oh god that was irritating.” And I just left it at that. But I kept thinking about the video, and it made me more annoyed every time I thought about it, until finally I had to express why this video is so goddamn annoying to me.
Where to start?
He says that “this is gay pride, not Lady Gaga pride” and that “she isn’t one of us.” Well done, you’ve stated the obvious. No, it isn’t Lady Gaga pride and was never claimed to be. And actually it’s not just gay pride. It’s LGBT pride. And, no, she isn’t a lesbian. But I don’t see why that matters at all. Especially if you consider the fact that she has expressed that she’s bisexual, which, if you look closely, you will see is part of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community. Not that it even matters, but let’s assume that he doesn’t know that and that he isn’t excluding the B from LGBT.
So, moving on, he says that self-acceptance songs like Born This Way, Firework and We R Who We R aren’t valid because they’re sung by straight, white women. He says that they “don’t know shit about being bullied” and “don’t know fuck about what we’ve gone through.” He goes on to thank them for writing the songs, but says that a gay man needs to be singing them, or a black man, or “some random ass lesbian with a penis growing out of her forehead.” Evidently just being a lesbian isn’t even enough—you need to be a lesbian with a penis growing out of your forehead.
Here’s where the problem really becomes apparent, and where I just lose it.
He says that they don’t know shit about being bullied. Wow, way to make wildly general assumptions based on sex, skin color and sexual orientation. It’s not like women are discriminated against ever, right? Sexism is 100% dead, right? Only gay guys can experience bullying, right?
Oh wait, wrong. Bullying is something that can happen to anyone. Even straight, white women. And sure, I’ll give it to you that they don’t know exactly what you went through, since none of them are gay men. Though, a straight, black man doesn’t know about being gay, but you seem to think he’d be a valid candidate to sing these songs. So why does it matter if it’s a straight, white woman? Oh, right, because you make idiotic assumptions based on the fact that they fall, mostly, in the majority. But none of that is very relevant, because these are songs about accepting yourself. They’re not songs about experiencing discrimination as a gay man. They’re songs about accepting yourself, no matter what your sexual orientation, gender identity or skin color. The fact that Lady Gaga, Ke$ha and Katy Perry don’t know about being gay has absolutely nothing to do with the message. The message is, love yourself no matter who you are.
I’m willing to concede that that Born This Way seems to be aimed at the LGBT community in particular. However that doesn’t change the fact that Lady Gaga never claims to be a lesbian and it’s still a song about loving yourself. Not your gay self, yourself.
Furthermore, you do not have to actually be gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or questioning to support equal rights. The fight for equality is not limited only to members of the LGBT community, the same way that civil rights in the 1960s was not limited to members of the black community. If you believe in a cause, you fight for it, no matter what your affiliation to the cause. The fact of the matter is, Lady Gaga is a supporter of LGBT rights and she uses her celebrity status to help push the movement forward. It doesn’t matter if she’s a straight, white woman. You know what that makes her? A straight, white ally.
Being gay isn’t like being in a club. It’s just one part of who you are as a whole. That’s the whole point of equal rights: everyone is the same.
So if you really want equality, I suggest you accept help, even if it comes from a straight, white woman. However, if you just want something to bitch and moan about, then be my guest.
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Hello, my name's Josh and I might be a hipster (you decide!). I've been blogging and designing in some form for the past eight or so years and I think I'm starting to get the hang of it (once again, you decide!). I love indie music, coming of age stories, sarcasm, video games, and aesthetics. At the moment I'm working part-time and going to college with hopes of being a web designer. 
Posted by Clem — Sunday, July 31st 2011
Yeah, I never saw any of those songs as being specifically about LGBTQ issues, except MAYBE Born This Way – but even then it could probably be applied to other situations. I definitely never saw Firework as trying to be aimed at the LGBTQ community specifically; the video at least shows different people who ~overcome difficulties~.
But, yeah, I would never discourage anybody for standing up for equal rights. That’s just silly.
PLUS ALSO Katy Perry has basically said that she wouldn’t necessarily turn a super attractive woman down, because sometimes someone is so attractive that your sexual orientation doesn’t matter. So, meh. She’s open to experimentation. :P
Posted by Nellie — Sunday, July 31st 2011
Okay, so what he’s saying is that straight people cannot champion gay rights?
Regardless of the fact that Lady Gaga is MOST DEFINITELY not a straight woman, the world needs someone like her to get the word out that there’s nothing wrong with being gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or otherwise.
The unfortunate truth is that straight people are more likely to listen to someone who is also straight. “If THAT straight person can accept LGBTQ people, so can I!”
That’s how I see it.
Dude needs a reality check.