Hey everybody So I just made a pride bracelet a couple of weeks ago and started wearing it around the house, but I feel like I'm ready to go outside and wear it publicly. The only problem is that I'm afraid of the response I'll get, which I understand that I'll have to deal with sooner or later. But the big question for me was whether there is an appropriate (?) time to wear it or not. I plan to wear it during the fall when my classes start (next week!) and I was wondering if it was a good idea to wear it then.
Of course it's a good idea to wear it and I don't really think that there is not an appropriate time, unless you're in a very homophobic environment for some reason, then I might hesitate. People on here have discussed this before and most say that people won't even notice it that much or at least not bring it to your attention. You'll be fine. I also bought a small bracelet online recently and am waiting for it to get here.
Sure! Wear it then! It'll make a good conversation starter, and you shouldn't get any gruff over it! I've never seen anyone get any harassment for wearing one, and I've seen sooooo many people wear them. Shame on me for not having one haha
I have one of those NOH8 silicone bracelets, which is huge! It's an inch wide white band with "NOH8" embossed on it in black and red. When I bought it, I wasn't out to anyone and I thought this might be a good way to hint into my sexuality by wearing it (I was pretty sure everyone had at least heard of the campaign, especially since I go to school in San Francisco). Once it arrived, I put it on, and my friends noticed it. They would see that large band on my wrist and try to read it. Then most of them were like, "Oh, is that the marriage equality campaign?" I would just say yes, and they'd be like, "That's cool." Even my parents asked me what it was and I'd tell them it's for proposition 8 and for marriage equality, and I don't think my mom quite heard me. She just says that it's a cool looking bracelet She's not very observative and doesn't pick up on things I say. Either way, surprisingly, no one has linked the fact that I wear the band to the fact that I'm gay. Not a single person asked about why I was wearing it or asked if I was gay or had some affiliation to the campaign. They were just like, oh cool bracelet, and then moved on. I was actually kind of hoping it would help me come out in a way, but I guess not :eusa_doh:
Maybe it has and you just haven't noticed. Obviously, I don't know anything about you personal life and the environment you live in. But I know people who take information and just roll with it like it's no big deal, because to them, it's not. So if you were wearing the bracelet, and they realized what it was for, maybe they just silently understood "hey, okay, this person is gay" and whatnot. Then again, maybe not. Just a thought. But yeah. I wear my Day of Silence bracelet to work and such. Most people don't realize what it is, and those that ask about it, I tell them. I don't think there is necessarily an inappropriate time or place, unless you're trying to dress nice, because let's face it...silicone pride bands don't exactly mix well with professional suits and whatnot. But I say wear it. Wear that bracelet to it's fullest.
Yeah, sometimes I thought that maybe they can deduce for themselves that I'm gay since I wear the bracelet. Then again, even after they know what it's for and see me wear it every day, they still ask me about guys, so I really don't think they get it haha. I never realized there was a Day of Silence bracelet. Where do you get those? Just curious Yeah, the silicone bracelets don't always mix well with everything we wear. I wear a yellow Livestrong bracelet on my left wrist and never take that off. I wear the NOH8 bracelet on my right wrist and take it off sometimes when it isn't quite "appropriate." It's super big and hard to hide under my sleeve. I've tried to hide it, but a lot of times, it slips out and I don't notice. I don't wear it when I go out with my straight friends...don't want them to know yet :icon_sad:
Don't own a pride bracelet...but say I did, the only time I could wear it would be if I went to a pride festival or parade.
I got my DOS bracelet at uni on the day of silence. They were being offered to those who wanted one or those participating. So of course I grabbed one up. It's my accessory love. But I'm sure you can get them elsewhere. I haven't looked, but the DOS website might be of some use to you there. As for the NOH8 and people knowing...I can understand the fear of not wearing it around them because you don't want people knowing yet, but just wearing a NOH8 bracelet doesn't mean you're gay or anything. I know that would be the initial assumption for most. But plenty of straight allies are NOH8 advocates and flaunt their NOH8 accessories about. Just putting it out there.
I made a bracelet about a year ago, and love wearing it. The only place I would never wear it is to work, both because I work in with animals and don't want anything happening to it, and also because my boss is somewhat homophobic (he is one of the few people I'm not out to). While I don't think there's anything necessarily wrong with wearing anything pride-related in the workplace, I think you should does have to take a moment to really contemplate whether or not it's appropriate for your specific work environment. Quite honestly, I think that pride paraphernalia tends to be noticed most by people that are looking for clues (i.e. other gays/allies), but not by the general population. It's unlikely that a hater is going to notice and call you out on it, so I say wear it with all the pride it deserves!
It would certainly increase my chances of meeting gays. I don't. I'm a little insecure as it is. Someday I might summon up the courage. Who knows?
Wear it when you're ready to wear it, no sooner and no later. You sound like you're ready so I say go for it! In really homophobic environments you might not want to wear it. Otherwise, get your gay pride bracelet on!
As some posters have already mentioned, most people won't even notice it, or if they do, they might not mention it, because well... asking someone their sexual orientation is a personal question. That's not to say that they won't draw their own conclusions, and it may increase the likelihood of you meeting queer friends. Based on other factors, they might just assume you're an ally though. If you like the bracelet, just wear it, but be prepared to deal with the (rare) reaction, positive or negative.
Thanks for the responses, everybody I do feel like I'm ready to wear it, and I haven't been called out by it yet (at least not around the house). In fact, it makes sense that most people don't really notice it unless they're gay/allies themselves. Right now, I've got a friend encouraging me that I should do it too. I live in a somewhat conservative city but I know a lot of people that aren't homophobic so I think it'll be fine to wear it here.
