Reminder to straight people:
Being an ally does not mean you are entitled to queer spaces, queer culture, queer validation, or queer emotional labor. Respecting our humanity is the minimum and should be the standard for everyone in regard to every other human out there regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, race, disability, or any of the other differences we have.
If you actively stand and fight with us, fantastic. We love you. We need more of you. That still doesn’t mean you know what it is to live as an LGBTQA+ person, and you should respect the fact that we sometimes want our own space (just like you have literally everywhere else, where cis/het is seen as the “default”).
This isn’t to say we don’t accept allies in these spaces, but it isn’t about you/your deeds, and we will not bend over backwards to accommodate you or stroke your ego. If your allyship is based on getting a pat on the back and not simply doing what is right you need to reevaluate. If your allyship stops because you are being treated just like everyone else without special accommodations being made for you, you were never really an ally. You just wanted to look good.
If the only people you support are “cute”, “adorable”, or “socially acceptable” gays you are not an ally and have no business being anywhere near our spaces/culture/people. No ifs, ands, or buts. It’s all of us or none of us. You don’t get to erase people because you don’t get it or don’t find them attractive or appealing.
You wouldn’t go to an event specifically for another culture and spend the whole time making everything about you and what you have done for that culture. That would not only be rude, it would be selfish. This is literally the same exact thing.
Our spaces are not a tourist stop. Our culture isn’t something you can simply change out of. Our history isn’t something you can brush away. Our appreciation isn’t a cookie you get for participating. Our place alongside the rest of humanity cannot be ignored.
🏳️🌈
