Good old New York. Along with the strivers, the greedy, the hopeful, and the opportunistic, we also attract the outliers. That includes the LGBT "community," though that term is generous for such a balkanized lot. And to think the movement took shape in Greenwich Village, home to the Stonewall Riots, 55 years ago.
The Stonewall legacy? Businesses forced to genuflect at the altar of Gay, Incorporated. BlackRock's Larry Fink demanding queer fealty from CEOs around the globe. The erosion of childhood innocence. A metastasizing victimhood fetish, especially among the gender dysphoric.
And a wave--an undeniable physical wave--of trans violence.
So what's to be proud of? A rainbow-laden account on X claimed that past persecution provides the impetus for celebration, a sort of collective, "We did it, sis!". And that's a noble enough idea. Worthy of some salutatory gesture. But a month? All the garishness? Festooning public spaces with ridiculous, inarguably hideous flags? I thought gays were known for tasteful decorating.
Pride Month is not only prideful, it's exceptionalist. Pride isn't about equality. Instead, it insists on being celebrated. And frankly fellas, it's beyond tacky. Do we need a Straight Eye For The Queer Guy? Where are the respectable, intelligent gays who know that Pride Month only drives the wedge deeper between their bric-a-brac collective and the moral majority?
The petulant demands for attention don't unite us. It's not fun anymore, if it ever was.
Evidence abounds of a new societal reluctance to green-lighting all things LGBT. Notably, retail giant Target scaled back their Pride-themed offerings from all stores to just a handful. More to the point, their "Pride Collection" for children is gone altogether.
Great, that's healthy progress. Why did they do it? Backlash over trans-inspired, child sized "tuck-friendly" garments was one flashpoint. The resulting dive in TGT stock price was undoubtedly a key driver as well. The Bud Light Effect is real.
Even the antifa wing of the left is sick of Pride. In Philadelphia today, pro-Palestine protesters blocked the Pride parade, some carrying signs that read, "No Pride In Genocide". This is your reminder that wokeism is not a fully realized philosophy. Modern liberals lack a cohesive set of beliefs, due in part to their rejection of organized religion.
Expect more Democrat intra-party clashes.
Another unpopular emergent reality is the legal leniency proffered to LGBT folk. Formerly unenforced laws such as laying rubber in the 7-Eleven parking lot quickly morphed into "hate crimes" whenever tires left a mark on streets painted like a box of Lucky Charms. Some speech is protected, some is prosecuted.
The crux of this question about pride, first and foremost of the seven deadly sins, has nothing to do with celebrating deviancy. The issue is how and why the fringe of the movement has turned violent.
At first it was merely comical. The "It's ma'am!" trans-woman who lost their cool while attempting to make a purchase in a shop went viral. But why is it funny? First, the individual doesn't pass as a woman, not remotely. But it's the distinctly male anger erupting from behind a lazy facade of femininity that belies the charade.
It's no longer funny when the frustration, hormones, and dysphoria turn into violence and sexual abuse.
At a recent Adele concert, a fan yelled, "Pride sucks!" and received a dressing down from the singer. Pretty vanilla stuff, but listen to what other fans say. The jump from hearing a differing opinion to violence is almost immediate.
"Let's jump him!" and "There he is!"
Several examples of trans violence follow below. Suffice it to say, perhaps the "LGB Without the T" folks were onto something. "Protect Trans People" is a popular LGBT slogan. Let's amend it to "Protect Us FROM Trans People".
