Butch Femme Planet - View Single Post

Cin · 05-17-2012, 09:31 AM

I don't believe federally recognized marriage for same sex couples means equality for queers.

I don't believe legislation giving me the right to marry whom I choose makes homosexuality acceptable in the eyes of Mr. & Mrs. Straight America.

I don't believe gay marriage will change society's belief there exists only two sexes and two genders and that even within that extremely tight structure there will continue to be no mix and match.

I don't believe winning the battle for gay marriage federally will somehow increase in numbers or in enthusiasm those kinds of queers who believe the best course to achieving equality is to tip toe quietly, blend in as best you can and attract as little attention as possible and who blame the rest of us for the hold up. I think you either are that or you are not that.

I don't believe that there is a danger of being mainstreamed or normalized or a purposeful goal by a certain segment of the queer population to mainstream or normalize that is in any way meaningful enough that I want to give up the opportunity to receive the immigration freedoms and social security benefits that federally sanctioned marriage will allow (and the 1000 other benefits).

I don't believe federal marriage equality reifies or has an affect whatsoever on existing oppressive structures in our society. Oppressive structures in our society are already as real and concrete as they can get. My gaining the right to federally sanctioned marriage will not affect that.

I don't believe a push for gay marriage is a push for the idea of a “normalized” gay person.

I don't believe a desire for marriage equality or a desire to marry is heteronormative or will set up a dichotomy of “good queers”/”bad queers” or will align me with the mainstream lgbtq movement in general or with their attempts to say “we’re just like middle/upper class white straight families.

I don't believe that I have anything in common with middle/upper class white families be they straight or gay, period, whether or not federal marriage for same sex couples ever happens. Or that I ever have to in order to enjoy the benefits of federally sanctioned marriage.

I don't believe that mainstream movements of any type are going to help me or queers like me (or people like me in regards to mainstream movements not of the queer variety) except by accident or by incidental and unavoidable trickling down. It would not be anyone’s goal in a mainstream movement, even a mainstream movement for and about marginalized people to help the most marginalized of its people. Once a movement achieves mainstream status it’s probably sold its soul to the devil for the privilege and it’s time to find another movement. However this will not stop me from enjoying any human or civil rights they win for their mainstream queers.

I don't believe any politician ever has as his/her goal to help the least powerful in society. Again though I will enjoy any rights they get standing up for or next to the marginally powerful movement in my group of marginalized people.

I especially don't believe that human or civil rights won today won’t have to be fought for and won again. I need only to look at the current attack on women’s reproductive rights happening in the US today to have that underscored emphatically.

I do believe that there is interconnectedness to achieving equality. Any gain clicks another piece in place. And while it is certainly not desirous, necessary or even really possible for everyone to become mainstream nor is it acceptable to be defined or valued by one’s ability to closely resemble society’s definition of normal, there is a benefit to gaining any human or civil right that will, above and beyond any trickle down effect, bring a group of individuals closer to being seen as people deserving of basic human and civil rights (which is different from being seen as mainstream or normal). It will also shine a light on the reality that one segment of society is without the basic human and civil rights most take for granted.

I also believe that the fundamental inequality inherent in our societal structures makes me closer in class and in political purpose to a poor straight person than it does to a middle class queer.

05-17-2012, 09:31 AM	#87
Cin Senior Member How Do You Identify?: Butch Preferred Pronoun?: she Relationship Status: Truly Madly Deeply Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: In My Head Posts: 2,815 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 6,333 Thanked 10,406 Times in 2,477 Posts Rep Power: 21474852	I don't believe federally recognized marriage for same sex couples means equality for queers. I don't believe legislation giving me the right to marry whom I choose makes homosexuality acceptable in the eyes of Mr. & Mrs. Straight America. I don't believe gay marriage will change society's belief there exists only two sexes and two genders and that even within that extremely tight structure there will continue to be no mix and match. I don't believe winning the battle for gay marriage federally will somehow increase in numbers or in enthusiasm those kinds of queers who believe the best course to achieving equality is to tip toe quietly, blend in as best you can and attract as little attention as possible and who blame the rest of us for the hold up. I think you either are that or you are not that. I don't believe that there is a danger of being mainstreamed or normalized or a purposeful goal by a certain segment of the queer population to mainstream or normalize that is in any way meaningful enough that I want to give up the opportunity to receive the immigration freedoms and social security benefits that federally sanctioned marriage will allow (and the 1000 other benefits). I don't believe federal marriage equality reifies or has an affect whatsoever on existing oppressive structures in our society. Oppressive structures in our society are already as real and concrete as they can get. My gaining the right to federally sanctioned marriage will not affect that. I don't believe a push for gay marriage is a push for the idea of a “normalized” gay person. I don't believe a desire for marriage equality or a desire to marry is heteronormative or will set up a dichotomy of “good queers”/”bad queers” or will align me with the mainstream lgbtq movement in general or with their attempts to say “we’re just like middle/upper class white straight families. I don't believe that I have anything in common with middle/upper class white families be they straight or gay, period, whether or not federal marriage for same sex couples ever happens. Or that I ever have to in order to enjoy the benefits of federally sanctioned marriage. I don't believe that mainstream movements of any type are going to help me or queers like me (or people like me in regards to mainstream movements not of the queer variety) except by accident or by incidental and unavoidable trickling down. It would not be anyone’s goal in a mainstream movement, even a mainstream movement for and about marginalized people to help the most marginalized of its people. Once a movement achieves mainstream status it’s probably sold its soul to the devil for the privilege and it’s time to find another movement. However this will not stop me from enjoying any human or civil rights they win for their mainstream queers. I don't believe any politician ever has as his/her goal to help the least powerful in society. Again though I will enjoy any rights they get standing up for or next to the marginally powerful movement in my group of marginalized people. I especially don't believe that human or civil rights won today won’t have to be fought for and won again. I need only to look at the current attack on women’s reproductive rights happening in the US today to have that underscored emphatically. I do believe that there is interconnectedness to achieving equality. Any gain clicks another piece in place. And while it is certainly not desirous, necessary or even really possible for everyone to become mainstream nor is it acceptable to be defined or valued by one’s ability to closely resemble society’s definition of normal, there is a benefit to gaining any human or civil right that will, above and beyond any trickle down effect, bring a group of individuals closer to being seen as people deserving of basic human and civil rights (which is different from being seen as mainstream or normal). It will also shine a light on the reality that one segment of society is without the basic human and civil rights most take for granted. I also believe that the fundamental inequality inherent in our societal structures makes me closer in class and in political purpose to a poor straight person than it does to a middle class queer.