When all the hoopla broke over Target carrying their line of Pride CollectionS and merchandise, it didn't really faze me, as I have said before, I prefer to get my Pride swag from gay owned and operated companies and shops. I did happen in after the story broke for some things for work and saw the shop, but didn't really see what the issue was, but I also didn't dig in to really look either. It was about midway in and on the aisle, Later.... last week two queens and a friend of theirs was in the showroom griping and bitching over Target and the display...and them being moved deeper in the stores or ditched completely. I overheard several conversations while relaxing beach side too.
So gays are now supposed to be concerned that Target moved or ditched completely their Pride displays??? Who cares? This is the next outrage we're meant to flit too? How about we worry and flit to what is happening to the large number of Trans women, and tran women of color getting murdered? Have they been solved yet? I'm not interested in forced allies because they easily turn into fake allies when the gays become inconvenient. Who is running the gay agenda now? Cause stuff like this which center on corporations and buying stuff leaves me cold. Besides, these companies abandon us when it benefits their bottom line, they'll turn their backs on us the minute you aren't profitable. Or ditch us when we're no longer trendy. As a community we need to focus on our rights...not which retail stores carries Pride merch and capsules once a year.
Marsha P Johnston was a true role model because she panhandled and then gave her earnings to street people in need. Sylvia Rivera spoke out for gay people in jail and how they were treated. But yet I overhear some gays boo hooing that they didn't get to target to pick up some gay swag. Perhaps we should be putting our energies to get housing for the homeless LGBT youth and seniors. Targeting our politicians to pass Medicare for all, since both gay and trans can have many health needs. Pass the Equality Act to protect vs discrimination in housing, education and employment. We have much bigger fish to fry and worry about... Now we cry over pride displays being taken down or moved...this is not serious.
You're right -- there's much bigger fish to fry than fairweather friends who lack the courage of their convictions, whatever those are.
ReplyDeleteWhile the disability is nice, in the back of my mind I always question motives. But the way Target handle this did not bode well for us. They gave in much too easy.
DeleteI think the little battles are important, but not more than the rightwingnuts trying to erase us. That's the fight.
ReplyDelete"But yet I overhear some gays boo hooing that they didn't get to target to pick up some gay swag" WHY are they buying there things at a Target or the like to begin with?!?!?!? Why not support the gay owned pride shops and companies first? And then we wonder why the Pride fest and parades are getting hijacked by corporate sponsors and tie ins We had a float almost done for our parade and then the corporate sponsor came in and said this, this, and this...basically said what could and couldn't be on it. Fuck that shit. I walked and refused to even be a featured queen on it.
ReplyDeleteOh I agree completely. I ripped three or four friends out for buying Pride swag at corporate retailers and National chains when there's numerous gay-owned shops in our cities and online.
DeleteI couldn't agree more, with this...as a community in general we worry over such little unimportant stuff, and then forget about the main issues we need to address and maintain. We had pride festivals and parades, fun and nice ones, long before they were getting so heavily sponsored by corporations and the like. And we can have them again.
ReplyDeleteI found out one of my peeps went to Target to get some things for Pride, like t-shirts and I tore a little one up him. We have two cool gay owned shops in Philly and told him he should be patronizing them. Stuff like this burns my ass. And we wonder why we almost lost Giovanni's Room at one point.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately the laws of the market do not spare gays and the LGBT world which is currently just one more reason to sell and a sales target. Obviously there are priority things to address and resolve.
ReplyDeleteFound it!!!! And you are correct.
DeleteIt all matters on some level, I suppose. But you're so right about choosing our battles... and whom to support. Fair weather friends are not really friends.
ReplyDeleteIt is a mixed topic. While it's nice that stores have moved on to actually carry gay related things, when the kitchen gets too hot, they can't take the Heat so they just remove it from the kitchen and move on. That is not good in my book .. you either support us or you don't.
DeleteTomorrow's post has a few suggestions for this month.
ReplyDeleteWhat makes me laugh is that every single year like clockwork retailers and companies change their socials to feature the pride flag whether they mean it or not...whilst doing what...to support the community? Rise awareness? Well, everyones aware of the great LGBTQ community now. It's time for them now to put that supposed support into action and "awareness".
ReplyDeleteHere here Miss Agnes! You totally get it and you're not even gay.
DeleteLike you I buy gay only owned. and its great that we see the wider visibility in these stores and companies...but unless they're gay led companies/coops/ markets etc, we shouldn't be supporting them. Like you said, when their bottom-line hurts, or we get "out of fashion" they turn their backs on us. Not to mention that almost all these companies still donate to the GOP.
ReplyDeleteThe way I see it???? If they can use us and take our money, we should use them for sponsorships to fund the festivals and parades, block parties, and such, then drop them come July 1st. Very few of these companies could care less.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with your line of thought there Cooper. The problem with that is they initially give us the money to put towards festivals and parades. Then the problem comes when they tell us how to do it and what can and can't be used on a parade or float. I never understood , if they want to support us to begin with , instead of putting money into the festivals and parades which floats are never used again anyhow.. why not take those sizable donations and put them into LGBTQ charities and worthwhile causes. I would respect that so much more. And it would do good. Why waste all that money just for one day, when it could be so much better used in other ways.
DeleteGood point, my dear. I have mixed feelings about corporations hijacking and profiting from Pride. Personally, it makes no sense to me, but I can see it as some type of acknowledgement - a step forward, that such large entities take our cause seriously enough to exploit it for profit. As for the whole trashing of displays and harassment of customers and employees? Well, I get that, too. We live in an open and carry society. Any nut job could go in and start shooting up the place - it would make headlines for 15 minutes, the Repugs would send prayers (F 'em) and the Dems would demand change, but accomplish little. The media would move on to the next shiny object and that would be it. Lives of those employees matter and I'm sure the companies that insure Target were all "you have to do something." So... here we are. I would like to see the gay community take back Pride. Yes, it would be without corporate sponsorship, so we'd lose the big splashy booths and the money, but it would still have all the bells and (wolf) whistles needed. Pride needs to be about gay... not pay. So F Target and their crappy t-shirts. Let's make our own. Kizzes.
ReplyDeleteWell Upton, Philadelphia did just that. This year's Pride was the least sponsored pride festival and parade they've had in years. They were getting too expensive, and they were starting to put too many guidelines on what could be used in the parade and the themes of floats for example. I mean God forbid the Go-Go boys didn't wear g-strings! What did they expect go-go boys to where a three-piece suit? They viewed it as because they were footing the bill and their name was on it, just how gay the parade and festival could be. I say screw that. And it was working me after a long time the gay community wasn't seeing this. I always liked the earlier incarnations of Pride festivals and marches.
Delete"Perhaps we should be putting our energies to get housing for the homeless LGBT youth and seniors. Targeting our politicians to pass Medicare for all, since both gay and trans can have many health needs. Pass the Equality Act to protect vs discrimination in housing, education and employment."
ReplyDeleteramen, sister!
XOXO
Love your thoughts on what we should be doing. Though, the big corporations need to cease caving to the Neanderthals.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is I don't think they'll ever cease doing that, since many of these retail chains and companies donate to the Republican Party and Democrats.
DeleteHuntleyBiGuy:
ReplyDeleteYou’re absolutely correct. We must prioritize our challenges. Make our voices heard and follow up to ensure promises are kept. It’s food to see they’re starting to dismantle Ronnie D’s bullshit in the courts.
Thank you Huntley. Sometimes the gay community can get me fired up as . If they'd worry about the main important issues as much as ragging on Queens on drag race they despise.. or belly aching over Pride displays being torn down or moved in stores we wouldn't have these worries. When it comes to the really important issues how quickly we forget to take our bully pulpits.
DeleteVery meaningful and to the point diatribe. There is far too much wrong with the world to fuss about petty things. Fussing about where certain merchandise is positioned in a shop or wimbling about what to call people is pointless when there are Ugandans who can get executed for having the "wrong" kind of lover; when Russians can bomb dams and drown those who never did them a wrong....we can go on for ever, but faster than we can solve the problems, new more egregious ones occur.
ReplyDeleteThe day a big box retailer (including Amazon, Walmart and such) install a permanent year round LGBTQ+ department and not just some pretense of support called Pride in the back of the store they will have my business. Until then I will shop small and local and even online when I can.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a huge fan of the "allies for the month" club. My last employer was like that.
ReplyDeleteI found a Pride flag in my backpack the other day, but when I unrolled it I noticed their logo was in the middle of it. Sashay, go away... in the trash!
And I can just picture that whole scenario too RJ!
DeleteVery well said!
ReplyDeleteRainbow capitalism has never been rooted and actually helping us or supporting our community, but I think if these companies pulled back now it would cause even more harm. Even though many of us either do or don't purchase from them. I wholeheartedly believe in keeping our dollar within our own community.
ReplyDeleteAs you know, my dear, I wholeheartedly agree with every word you say. Fuck corporate hypocrisy!
ReplyDeleteClink, clink, sweetie! Jx
Clink, clink. Cheers dear! 🍸🍸🍸
DeleteWhen it comes to the newer LGBT community and especially gay men, I find them to be more outraged by virtually nonsense, then Fight For Real Change and injustices against our communities.
ReplyDeleteGurl. So tired of big corporation and government They are tiring.
ReplyDelete[take a look on your spam folder: I wrote a comment here that I can't find now]
ReplyDelete