Fear, Schmear

Tired of these warnings. Just going to live my life!

It’s that time of year again.

I asked AI art for “lesbians at a pride party” and this is what I got. Yes, yes, we all look exactly like this.

We must be nearing Pride month because the “Be careful, Gays!” warnings are going out, along with every fabulous boy in the Village. (Read the State Department’s missive.)

Each year, those of us residing in Queerville get plenty of warnings. Pride is coming. Morons want to hurt and kill you.

Duh. We’ve lived with that our entire lives.

Tell me something new. And eggs-cellent.

Enough

It’s exhausting and — honestly — I don’t care anymore. Yes, these Christian Nationalists here in the US (read Canada’s warning regarding LGBTQ travel in the U.S.) and their assorted wackadoodle Neanderthal friends around the world want to hurt us. Yes, they want to imprison us and kill us. Yes, they want to talk smack about and to us … and I just can’t be bothered anymore. And I really don’t care that some of them consider this hate to be part of their religion.

Newsflash — here’s a better religion to follow:

Living in fear is exhausting and I’m sick of it.

We should ALL be sick of it — and not just sick of Queer Fear but sick of fear itself.

AI did capture an even more fabulous FDR right before he went to the piano bar

Fear Channel — Showing Everywhere, All the Time

Our American culture is built on, fueled by, and obsessed with fear. Movies, news, tv shows, online content, etc. — all of it driven by fear and (mostly) real or imagined violence towards women and other marginalized people. And many other countries are pumping out similar Greatest Hits of Fear … and worse.

Enough. I want to change the channel. And because I can’t control the entire culture (believe me, I’ve tried), I’m just changing myself.

• Issue your warnings. I don’t care.

• Hate me. I don’t care.

• Yell at me. Post things about me. Call me names. I don’t care.

What’s the worst you can do to me? Imprison me? Kill me? Really — that’s all you’ve got?

This All Is a Bit Much

I’m tuning out. Sure I’ll “watch my six” (I always do) but I’m just going to live my life. Out. Proud. With my girlfriend.

We’re the kind of couple that you see being lovey with each other in public because we can do that in Seattle, just like all the heterosexual couples. We hold hands. We kiss in public. We sit on the same side of the table in a restaurant because it’s just too damn far to sit across from each other. My friend Tim says he has to take anti-nausea medication before he calls me because we’re that kind of couple.

“Dramamine, ANYTHING. Jesus God, just make her STOP.”

Why am I telling you this? Because I need you to remember something else:

For every dark piece of news, there are pieces of light. You just have to look for them.

And here’s one: