No, It’s Not OK to Be a Gay White Man
Assumptions by LGBTQ people and allies notwithstanding
It ain’t easy being a gay white man, whatever you might have heard to the contrary
Please don’t stop reading, because I’m not even TRYING to dismiss other experiences. If you’re trans, bisexual, a person of color, or just a cool cis/straight white person who empathizes with fellow humans, I’ve got your back.
I care about your struggles, and you matter to me.
Nobody cares about gay anymore. It’s so not a big deal.
But over the last few days, I’ve been thinking a lot about the state of queer equality, something I’ve fought hard for all my life as a street activist and advocate. I marched with Queer Nation as a young man, got gay bashed in Greenwich Village, and stood up for radical queer equality, including the smashing of gender norms.
I’ve witnessed a LOT of progress since I became an activist in 1990. I’m optimistic about the state of the struggle, but I’m also a realist. A lot of queer folks in the US are suffering, and that includes gay men, who often face stigmatization, isolation, and unjust discrimination.
