I would love to be able to use public transit more in Halifax but it's not practical at the moment for my needs. I used to use it exclusively for years but could no longer afford to spend two hours or more trying to get somewhere that would only take 15 minutes by car. My time is too precious for that.
Also, it needs to be safe and safe for women specifically. I've travelled on public transit extensively both here and in Europe and we need to address the sexual harassment and assaults that happen both in crowded and relatively empty transit areas. Women (and young girls!) should not have to face the prospect of one or several men threatening to rape them or groping them or masturbating in front of them while everyone else looks on. Bus drivers in the UK are even advised not to get involved! It's shameful. The situation is somewhat better here but you still get harassment and sometimes assaults and dark bus stops are all we have in most parts of town. More investment in public transit to make it more viable, absolutely, but don't shame people for not using a broken system in the meantime.
@Jesus: Depending on who you ask, the A stands for asexual, agender, or ally. Basically, it's straight people glomming onto the gay movement to make themselves seem like special little snowflakes. Asexual is fairly self explanatory. Agender is a slightly nicer term that's code for saying "I'm just not like the other girls/guys" because evidently their androgynous fashion sense means they're not really boys or girls because they're soooo different. They're far too enlightened for that. And ally? Well, the straights have to be included too now, of course! Straight kinksters are calling themselves "queer" now too. They're not even gay or bisexual but apparently they need a place in our movement (because the rest of the world doesn't cater to them enough?). It's all the rage now amongst the younger university "queers" and is very popular on Tumblr.
I agree with you. Queer is not a term I will ever identify with and our movement is little more than a springboard for certain self described "radicals" to gain political street cred and launch their political/activist careers. Sex reassignment surgery? Whining over corporate sponsors one week out of the year (who undoubtedly have gay employees)? Don't we have bigger issues to deal with? How about our homeless youth? How about those youth then being forced to do survival sex work? How about the development of "bug chasers" in our community? What about the epidemic of cancer and poverty for lesbians? How about addressing police brutality and having medical professionals who are better versed in our health risks and lives? How about proper sex education for our teens that is comprehensive, positive, non-judgmental, and talks about same sex relationships and intimacy on equal terms with heterosexual relationships so our teenagers aren't left in the dark? How about gay and bi spaces for all ages that don't revolve around alcohol? How about anything that really matters to the average gay person?
I have to say, knowing them as I do, these "Rad" pride folks are not a group I hold in particularly high esteem.
JFC, as a proud dyke, I am so sick of hearing the latest attempt by trans people (trans women, let's be honest) to police the hell out of the gay movement and biological women. If you don't like it, tough. Start your own and leave what we've built alone. We don't even have an exclusive dyke march in the city anymore. It's now the "dyke and trans march." If you're a lesbian who does not want to sleep with a pre-op trans woman because of her intact penis ("ladystick") then you get called a transphobe, told that your sexuality is transphobic, and told to examine why you don't like dick. Young lesbians are being pressured and coerced constantly in our community to cross their own boundaries in the name of "equality" and being an "ally" while our butches are being told that their unconventional appearance and interests means they're all just closeted trans men. Women are being pushed to the sidelines, gay culture is being neutered, and suddenly we're all about respectability politics now. No, thank you.
You don't like drag? You don't like our events? You don't like the way the *gay* movement celebrates pride? Too bad. It was never about you.
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Also, it needs to be safe and safe for women specifically. I've travelled on public transit extensively both here and in Europe and we need to address the sexual harassment and assaults that happen both in crowded and relatively empty transit areas. Women (and young girls!) should not have to face the prospect of one or several men threatening to rape them or groping them or masturbating in front of them while everyone else looks on. Bus drivers in the UK are even advised not to get involved! It's shameful. The situation is somewhat better here but you still get harassment and sometimes assaults and dark bus stops are all we have in most parts of town. More investment in public transit to make it more viable, absolutely, but don't shame people for not using a broken system in the meantime.
I agree with you. Queer is not a term I will ever identify with and our movement is little more than a springboard for certain self described "radicals" to gain political street cred and launch their political/activist careers. Sex reassignment surgery? Whining over corporate sponsors one week out of the year (who undoubtedly have gay employees)? Don't we have bigger issues to deal with? How about our homeless youth? How about those youth then being forced to do survival sex work? How about the development of "bug chasers" in our community? What about the epidemic of cancer and poverty for lesbians? How about addressing police brutality and having medical professionals who are better versed in our health risks and lives? How about proper sex education for our teens that is comprehensive, positive, non-judgmental, and talks about same sex relationships and intimacy on equal terms with heterosexual relationships so our teenagers aren't left in the dark? How about gay and bi spaces for all ages that don't revolve around alcohol? How about anything that really matters to the average gay person?
I have to say, knowing them as I do, these "Rad" pride folks are not a group I hold in particularly high esteem.
I weep for our movement.
You don't like drag? You don't like our events? You don't like the way the *gay* movement celebrates pride? Too bad. It was never about you.