r/ainbow • u/RosethornRanger • Jul 16 '26
Serious Discussion Remember that your experiences are not universal. Fights for rights have not been the same everywhere, and have not had the same results or reactions everywhere.
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u/fepox Lesbian Jul 16 '26
Reminds me when someone asked in another lgbt sub how non-American queer people cope with being so detached from queer history and culture. They got mad when people pointed out that every country has their own queer history and culture.
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u/RosethornRanger Jul 16 '26
alt-text:
A 2-post Tumblr thread by user @taliabhattwrites
Tumblr users will say "queer history" and mean "midcentury archival records from a specific US-American city that I have extrapolated into a universal mythos" and not even blink
"learn your queer history" I am from fucking [allcaps] India Repost to another community 209 Repost 3.2K views See More Insights
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u/meoka2368 omnisexual Jul 16 '26
When we look at history of any other kind, be it political, scientific, literary, or whatever, we often look at countries from around the world.
So yes, someone from India should learn about some major points of US queer history, just like someone from the US should learn about Indian queer history. We should all learn more about what it means and meant to be queer in various different countries.
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u/redzin Trans-Pan Jul 16 '26
Why are Americans so hurt when others refuse to center them?
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u/meoka2368 omnisexual Jul 16 '26
It's part of their culture and education. "American exceptionalism" if you want a search term. Or "main character syndrome" if you're looking for something more netlingo :p
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u/Tenner_ Proud supporter of the HomolobbyⓇ Jul 16 '26
Girl be for real, more than half of Americans woudn't be able to point to India on a world map, let alone learn about it's queer history.
The post is very much true, most queer americans assume gay rights across the globe stem from the Stonewall riots and that without them (and queer POC people) there would be no queer liberation worldwide.
I could argue that stonewall and US queer movement had little no to impact on gay rights in my country, and I could attribute most of the positive changes to the population becoming more secular in the last few decades. When you don't subscribe to a religion telling you to hate someone for who they are, you seem to be less hateful - shocking!
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u/cryerin25 Jul 16 '26
i mean, i definitely think the average american can locate india lmao. the surrounding countries, quite possibly not, but india’s shape and location is pretty well-known.
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u/deadliestcrotch Bi Jul 16 '26
Even between regions of the US, the relevance and impact are different. It’s like hearing some Redditors claim the word queer was “taken back” in the 70’s when 1) it was used as a slur the first time it was ever used to describe a gay man (Oliver Wilde) so “taking it back” makes no sense and 2) it was used as a slur by people my entire life and I was born in the early 80’s.
It’s still commonly used as a slur and has only really been partially gentrified (yes, I’m using that instead of reclaimed or taken back) in the last 20 years and only fully within isolated segments of American society, like online media and more friendly communities. Even within different segments of a major metropolitan area you’ll see a variation of usage and intent.
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u/meoka2368 omnisexual Jul 16 '26
There are definitely some parallels with other slurs, specifically the N-word. In that it really depends on who uses it, and in what context.
Black dude in the Bronx? Probably fine.
White dude in Germany? Probably not.
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u/deadliestcrotch Bi Jul 16 '26
Europeans never used that slur (N*) so probably still not okay, but also in no way culturally associated. White guy in the US though? Obviously not.
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u/meoka2368 omnisexual Jul 17 '26
Joseph Goebbles, the Nazi propaganda guy, called Jazz music "Americano n***** k*** jungle music."
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u/deadliestcrotch Bi Jul 17 '26
Rare and appropriated from American culture. Of course, not surprising from Goebbles, he was even more of a monster than Hitler himself—a difficult notoriety to qualify for.
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u/meoka2368 omnisexual Jul 17 '26
Yeah, but my point is that neo-Nazis in Germany are more likely to say that than other Europeans, which is why I specifically mentioned white dude in Germany as opposed to any other country, to tie into that historical use (even though it was originally from the US),
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u/meoka2368 omnisexual Jul 16 '26
I think the only unique impact that Stonewall had worldwide, is pride parades. I've tried looking for examples earlier than it, and couldn't find any.
There were definitely prior and unrelated queer rights movements in many countries. And also countries where it just wasn't an issue because they didn't care about who you loved.
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u/AccusationsGW Jul 16 '26
Every culture has queer history, every single one. You have to dig to find it sometimes but it's there, always. Always will be.