Okay friends, especially queer friends, I want your input.
I’m sure we’re all aware of Kate (from Defrauded podcast) going after the brand Careof the other day for partnering with Alyssa Webster. On yesterday’s episode of the podcast she essentially acknowledged the pushback but stood by her actions, saying that Alyssa is obviously homophobic due to her associations and therefore deserves this. (Even though the argument was never that Alyssa isn’t homophobic, it was that she isn’t vocal about it.)
Today she’s at it again, going after Fabletics for sponsoring Anna as well as this tuxedo company that apparently airs commercials on Counting On. I’m going to guess that TLC, like many channels, lets you buy ad space during a block of time rather than during a specific show, but that’s beside the point.
Am I alone in feeling like this is essentially just an overly-invested ally pursuing the ego boost that comes from “defending” the LGBT community as an “ally” without taking into account if her actions actually help or seeking out the opinions of any actual queer people? As a lesbian, OBVIOUSLY I don’t consider my life and rights “politics”. And when major corporations actively contribute to taking away my rights (whether it’s by promoting homophobia or by financially contributing to causes that are trying to take away my rights) I am absolutely in support of calling for boycotting them.
This does not feel at all like the same thing. Calling out major corporations is fine and acceptable. Calling out smaller businesses that partner with individuals is directly attacking their livelihood. I don’t care if someone doesn’t agree that I deserve rights, they still deserve to be able to earn an income. And even if you don’t believe the Duggar and Bates women need the money (and right now most if them probably don’t), they might one day down the road, plus earning their own income proves to them (and their daughters) that women can be mothers and earn money at the same time.
More importantly though, going on instagram and bragging about how you’re defending gay rights in this way just proves to Alyssa and thousands of her followers that the gays are going to attack them for standing up for what they believe God teaches. It fuels the persecution complex. It makes them less likely to consider that maybe we aren’t all this collective Big Bad, maybe we’re all individuals who have our own individual lives that are, in many ways, just like theirs.
Obviously if I were directly interacting with Alyssa and she said something homophobic I would call her out on it. I’m not dealing with that shit in person. But when it’s behind the safety of an internet screen like this, I feel like all Kate is doing is reinforcing that the LGBT community is militantly pushing some “agenda”. What do the rest of y’all feel?
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