Showing gay pride

Although one could be targeted for advertising almost any idea, it largely depends on your location, and I have no idea how your area is.

I've been thinking of crocheting a rainbow something, like a bracelet or scarf. (as if males crocheting wasn't "gay" enough ^_^) Still need to come out first though.

 

Depends on where you live I guess. If your area is known for good ole' boys, I'd not put it up, especially if people are attacked/have their cars keyed, or anything else.

But that fear is probably very unlikely despite how severe the effects of it actually happening are. We are not all the way to enlightenment, but significantly closer with every passing year. I'd say go ahead and do it; even people who hate gays probably won't care enough to do so much as peel it off.

 

Well of course people are generally more accepting in 2013 than they were in 1953, but there still is a lot of homophobia out there, and a lot of homophobic degenerate thugs out there who would violently assault LGBTQ people. So don't let your guard down and think everyone is accepting now.

Even here in NYC, there have been a lot of homophobic hate crimes over the past year. And New York is overall much more liberal and gay-friendly than Nebraska.

So be careful.

With that said, I don't think you should live your life in fear, and not be proud of who you are. I've never been to Omaha, you know it best, so you need to judge whether people in your own area would react positively or negatively (or just not care at all) to you having a gay pride sticker on your car.

My mother often gets me worried and anxious when I leave the house, because of the way I dress, as she says I will attract attention and could be attacked. So it seems to be a common sentiment among parents of LGBTQ people.

Part of it may be well-intentioned, not wanting you to get hurt, though in the case of my mother at least, I think another part of it is just an excuse because she is embarrassed of people knowing her son is gay.

So just weigh the risks, be careful, but be proud too. ride:

 

I think this gentleman has hit the nail on the head. It really depends on where you are, but I suspect you would be fine today, even in Nebraska. I also think that most parents views about the risks of this sort of thing were formed at a time when it REALLY WAS dangerous to advertise the fact that you were gay (though I had a teacher in 1980 who had a rainbow sticker in the back window of her car). Thankfully, times have changed. Finally, while it may not apply in your case, I think most here would not be at all surprised if a parent used the "gay bashing risk" as a cover for their own embarrassment.

 

It's up to you. If I had a car, I would. BUt then again, my area is 'safe' ish. In my area, only gay people know that rainbows = LGBT. Everyone else would just think I liked rainbows or something stupid. :lol: Do what you feel is best xx

 

My take on this is that homophobic people are probably more likely to attack anonymously. If they see you displaying pride, you might get an uncomfortable stare but, as long as you live in a nice and progressive area and take sensible safety precautions such as sticking with friends at night etc., they are unlikely to do anything much more. However, if they see an abandoned car displaying pride, it would be easier for them to scratch it or break a window and actually get away with it. It depends on whether you think homophobia is still a potent problem in your area.

 

I don't wear a bracelet but only because I'm not fully out - when I am out I'll probably order one, and, from experience, a lot of EC members do wear them. I don't think I would feel comfortable advertising it on a car though, just my personal preference, because as I said it takes less nerve to attack a CSR than it does to attack a person. As for homophobia, there's much less of it than in previous generations, but it most certainly does still exist. Just look at Russia. I can't speak for Obama specifically, but there are parts of America where it isn't much better.

 

It could happen. it probably won't but it could. Mums just worry about very unlikely things occurring because they're mums.

 

If nothing has happened, why stop now? Some won't approve but i highly doubt you'd get attacked or anything. Pretty much every town has been exposed to this kind of rainbow sticker by now. It's just something they might disapprove of but have to live with, like anything else. Just take basic safety precautions.

 

To answer your question re displays - I have an HRC sticker on the back of my car. It means something for those in the know, but is probably meaningless to those who aren't. In a similar fashion, a lot of LGBT people here (I live in a fairly conservative area) who want to have a pride sticker on their car will do something more subtle. Various websites will sell rainbow themed stickers of various sorts, most with no words and many that are subtle enough that the people you are concerned about probably won't notice or understand what it means.

Do a google on gay pride stickers and you can find all sorts of designs. You could find one that will let you balance wanting to show your pride with concerns about negative reactions from homophobes and such.

Hope this helps,

Todd