Still remember when a homo- and transphobic acquaintance tried to bring up JKR’s views on trans people in conversation and I shut it down with «oh yeah she’s been saying a lot of dumb shit on Twitter after she finished writing Harry Potter, like when she claimed Dumbledore was gay, just to be politically correct», which made it absolutely impossible for him to admit that he agreed with anything JKR had ever said. Sometimes you just have to weaponise people’s homophobia against their transphobia.
Other ways to stop family members/acquaintances from going on bigoted rants:
«Isn’t this all a bit silly? I mean, I’m more concerned about the economy/the war in Ukraine/covid/my job» - weaponised whataboutism
«Do you work with a lot of trans people? Because it seems like this is a problem you frequently encounter in everyday life from the way you talk about it» and when they say they don’t, follow up with «well then I don’t see what you’re making such a fuss about»
«Idk, I haven’t been much on social media lately, I think Twitter is a waste of time» - make them feel like they’re the ones who are terminally online
«Idk, I’m not that concernced with other people’s genitals and sex lives» - creep shaming
The point is that I’ve used all of these in various contexts and they’ve saved a good number of dinner table conversations from derailing into pointless debating. You don’t de-radicalise friends and family members by entering into political discussions they initiate just to stir up shit. You de-radicalise them by shifting the focus away from their shitty opinions and onto the things you have in common and the practical everyday stuff that exists outside their internet echo chambers.
If sexual activity between same-gender people became illegal, the police would be the ones enforcing those laws.
That’s why police are not welcome at Pride. Pride is for unconditional supporters, not for those who would become enemies as soon as they’re ordered to.
I feel it’s important to amend this with “if sexual activity between same-gender people became illegal AGAIN, the police would be the ones enforcing those laws AGAIN.”
They did it before and they’ll do it again. Gay sex was only made legal in Texas in 2003. I was at a sleepover at my best friend’s house when it happened. We could hear the celebrations from the bar district down the block. We were 14 and both knew we were queer.
So yes, they’re not welcome at pride because they’ll turn on us in an instant. But also because cops who have been cops for a while full-onwere against us only NINETEEN years ago.
And yes I know that’s just in Texas and other states have different histories but I’m not even that old and I remember when being gay was illegal. When any relationship I dreamed of having was illegal. And THAT is my bigger reason that cops aren’t welcome at pride. Yes they will turn on us, but they already were against us and not-so-secretly still are.
