You are gay, not special...

gay pride  

Noun

A sense of dignity and satisfaction in connection with the public acknowledgment of one's own homosexuality.


During a recent trip i had a conversation with someone about Gay Pride and the general gay topics that come up during a conversation. Topics ranging from clothing to gay attitude and personalities was all discussed in some degree. One thing was mentioned a few times though and that got me thinking. The words "you are gay, not special" came up a lot.

As a gay man i have always hated being labeled, and as a result i didnt see myself any different than any other person, gay or straight. Many great things have happened to the further improvement of the gay community in the last few years and like most other people it made me proud to see changes happening all over the world. That said i have also noticed something that upset me. All of a sudden being gay meant that some people saw them selves and the gay community as "special"

For decades men and women fought for equality, to be treated like anyone else. Couples wanted the right to marry the person they loved regardless of gender or sexuality. All they wanted was to be treated the same way their heterosexual friends were, nothing more and nothing less.

All over the world Gay pride is being celebrated at some degree, some with elaborate festivals and some with just a pride parade, no matter how you look at it, its a fun event where being gay is celebrated. However recently organizers started enforcing some strict rules and regulations. No longer are you allowed to walk around in your underwear or topless or even naked, and no sex in public places. That upset many people so much that they went to sites like Facebook and twitter to complain about it. Being nude in public or having sex on a float in front of people lining the streets is not acceptable for anyone but for some reason just because they are gay it should be? Any other day of the year it is illegal to walk around topless or have sex in public, then why should it be legal on pride day?

Pride is about unity not about being perverse in public.
It’s about those children not thinking that they’re somehow second class citizens.
It’s about teaching children that they should not be ashamed to be who they are.
It’s about standing up against prejudice.



This is where my dilemma starts, we want to be treated like everyone else, yet we want special treatment for some things? I am gay, i am no different that my straight friends, shouldn't what counts for them also count for me? The fact that i am gay should not mean i am now all of a sudden allowed to do things that is illegal for everyone else.
If i decide to propose to my boyfriend why should it be plastered over every website and newspaper, many straight people do that every day, why should mine be in the spotlight? Its a private thing, something special between two people in love yet nowadays it seems that gay couples go out of their way to ensure that they get mentioned on facebook or some tabloid website.

We lost the meaning of Pride, no longer is it a celebration of being gay, now it is all about being different and forcing it down everyone's throat. We make huge issues about being gay yet in the same sentence we demand to be treated the same as others. When someone says or does something that is offending it is our right to be upset and say something, but it is not a right to start demanding things now that the the world is on board with equality You are gay you are not special, but your actions is doing more damage to the community than you think.

Be proud of who you are, embrace being gay but don't see it as an excuse to be perverse or be put on a pedestal, you are just like every other person on this planet.