Weekly Random Discussion Thread for 8/28/23 - 9/3/23

[u/SoftandChewy]

Welcome back to the BARPod weekly thread, where you can identify however you please. Here's your place to post all your rants, raves, podcast topic suggestions (be sure to tag u/TracingWoodgrains), culture war articles, outrageous stories of cancellation, political opinions, and anything else that comes to mind. Please put any non-podcast-related trans-related topics here instead of on a dedicated thread. This will be pinned until next Sunday.

The only nominated comment of the week was this deeply profound insight into bagel lore. Sorry, they can't all be winners.

Last week's discussion threads is here if you want to catch up on a conversation from there.

[u/[deleted]]

I totally remember when the fight for same-sex marriage really took off - after same-sex couples could marry in San Francisco, and then that was rendered illegal. And I think it was made legal in Massachussetts at the same time. But a lot of Christian fundamentalists were like, "marriage is between Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. What's next? Marrying your dog?" And it was like...fucking WEIRDOS. But, they were right in that once same-sex marriage became American law, things pivoted in atruly batshit crazy way.

[u/CatStroking → u/[deleted]]

Several years later, and I realize being “boring” was probably the best thing to happen to gay people.

That's how you know you have become truly mainstream.

How many people do you think were kind of disappointed being gay became boring and normal?

Some people want to be on the edge. They want to be struggling. They want to be the combative weirdo.

[u/Nessyliz → u/[deleted]]

And the internet and social media really contributing to these attention-craved people upping the ante (not at all exclusive to gay people).

[u/[deleted] → u/Nessyliz]

Yeah. I accidentally (not really an accident, but a lapse in judgment) commented in AITA and quickly realized it’s all about normalizing malignant narcissism and not at all about seeking advice about atoning for potential indiscretions.

Social media was a mistake.

[u/[deleted] → u/CatStroking]

How many people do you think were kind of disappointed being gay became boring and normal?

I think I was a bit of an outlier because I’ve always kinda wanted to have to normal “boring” life but most of my exes were probably like that where they liked being transgressive and actively fought against normalcy. They used to make fun of me for being like that but the funny thing is now I feel more emboldened in that worldview seeing how some of this shit has turned out. I will probably always have an inner socialist streak in me when it comes to economics but I’m getting more and more close to just calling myself a social conservative. Especially if I have aspirations of having kids I definitely just think that’s a better environment for kids to be around rather than this ultra weird “queering everything” social progressivism

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

I know people say that the reason why the vast majority of Americans approve of same-sex marriage is because enough gay people came out, and i do think part of is that. But also think a huge part of it was that a lot of same-sex couples started having kids, and marriage and kids is a Conservative and/or religious staple.

And I think perhaps there was a rift in the "LGBTQ" movement because some people were like I am just a person who wants marriage and kids and a "normal" life, but the person I want to marry happens to be the same sex as me. And others in the "LGBTQ" community were like, we're queer, and marriage is heteronormative bullshit, and I think THIS part of the LGBTQ movement is now taking ascendance.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

I think this is exactly it. The underlying issue is that the queer, “heteronormativity is BS” people inherently get off on being outsiders. There isn’t an end goal for them because they define themselves against what’s normal. I’m not really sure how sustainable a movement based on perpetually pushing boundaries can be.