Gay pride parades

snowbull

I can think of nothing else that would cause me to become a homophobe, but gay pride parades are pretty powerful. If my only experience of gay people was that of a gay pride parade, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want them around my children. Or me. Or them being allowed to vote. As it is, I have met real gay people and know that they are people, worthy of respect and dignity like everyone else, and are essentially the same as anybody else, but gay pride parades seem designed to make gay people look like raving lunatics. If tomato enthusiasts had weird parades like this, I'm pretty sure that people would be creeped out by them too.

Of course, there is a relevant and far more entertaining onion article on the subject.

Gelzo

Never thought about it that way.

But I figure these only take place in communities where gays are accepted anyway, for what that's worth.

inkblot

How many gay pride parades have you actually seen?

They're useful. People are more likely to accept gays if they actually know someone who is gay, and if they do look shocking, it's to get people more used to that until they're no longer freaked out. Like Marilyn Manson, only intentional.

See this video? Many people, when they first see it, are so scared that it's on our High Octane Nightmare Fuel page. But as they watch it over and over again, they eventually wonder why they found it so scary the first time.

ClockworkUniverse

^Wouldn't it make more sense to just, I dunno, act sane?

Sammy

YMMV. I can understand why they'd be annoying, but I also think people are using them as an excuse to be homophobic while conveniently ignoring the debaucheries of straight culture.

inkblot

^^ That's how most gay people do it. But others are trying to legitimize the "freakier" parts of LGBT culture by mainstreaming it, getting people used to it. The black community had the same competing ideas in the 60's and 70's.

ClockworkUniverse

^Fair enough, I suppose.

Longfellow

It's hard to mobilize a whole sexuality to act one particular way.

Tnophelia

Happens every October, dawg.

http://www.tomatofest.com/

ClockworkUniverse

Rule 34 of Real Life: If it exists, there's a convention about it. No exceptions.

Tnophelia

^ There are no therapists convention?

Central Avenue

A suburb not too far from where I live puts on a Tomato Festival every year. They used to do a whole Tomato Parade, too, but I don't think they do anymore.

Tnophelia

There's Artfest too.

Gelzo

Maybe we're better off not worrying how a community's cultural expression reflects on them. Some people are going to be bigots no matter what, and the people who are reasonable enough to be enlightened probably won't let the experience permanently color their impressions.

I figure it'd be much worse if anyone tried to put a stop to these, whether they succeeded or not.

Tnophelia

I went to a gay pride parade once....ironically.

Stormtroper

glennmagusharvey

Nyktos

"Rule 34 of Real Life: If it exists, there's a convention about it. No exceptions."
I'm sure there are Touhou conventions.

Chagen

There is a Touhou Convention, called Reitaisai.

nohaynicklibre

What's ZUN's opinion about it? Also lol hijack

[Deleted User]

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Chagen

I think he formally attends it himself and makes announcements there.

Stormtroper

I thought he actually helps set it up.

Anyway, that's where he distributes demos.