you know what's funny? at the actual real life grass-touching Pride, the leather, pup, and furry contingents got some of the biggest cheers, because people mostly just think they're fun and look cool

Hey, you, who's reading this in the future: you can find out who I am today at https://rarf.zone/about/. 💙
you know what's funny? at the actual real life grass-touching Pride, the leather, pup, and furry contingents got some of the biggest cheers, because people mostly just think they're fun and look cool
they cheered 'cause they thought it was Rob Halford
hasn't escaped my notice how much pride discourse takes place in pure hypothesis space
"but what will the straight people think"
well it seems they mostly thought HEY LOOK, A DOGGY
People who never go offline and talk to "normal people" seem extremely confident in their idea of how said people think. And tbh if "normies" thought and acted like how they seem convinced they universally do, then I'd be hesitant to log off, too.
I've been at a dog show (a hobby populated largely by rich, elderly white people, the most conservative demographic) all weekend and there was Pride Stuff everywhere: dogs dressed up in rainbow flags, people wearing pins and shirts, vendors selling schwag, bumper stickers on parked cars proclaiming LOVE IS LOVE alongside LOVE IS A DANDIE DINMONT TERRIER¹... and only one person (out of hundreds, it was a huge show) even glared at my whole Gender Situation²!
not to downplay either the struggle or the current existential threat but damn it's nice to be reminded that most people don't have a problem with visible queerness, or at least none worth starting a ringside fistfight about.
I know I've been relatively lucky but the extent to which all the interactions with everyone I've actually seen in person have been completely fine including during the years I was extremely visible has been amazing and quite a contrast to much of the discourse.
They suffer from the same prejudices as the rest of us, they belong. The only reason to exclude them is because you want to still be able to separate yourself from them because they're 'too weird.' Which is the fundamental reason we're all oppressed too.
God, that "protect trans kids" shirt is just... What a look. Love this. Need one NOW.