my gay icon, let me show you it
Apparently, there's been an uproar on the whole entire "stage-gay" thing that bandom's bands have going on. The main question I found from reading the main post -- again, not linking, look it up if you want -- and the reactions to it is whether the actual "activities" taking place on stage are real or not. Are they gay, are they not gay, is this a gimmick? To be perfectly, truly, and very honest--
--I really don't give a damn.
Honestly, if Pete Wentz woke up tomorrow and said, "Hey, we did it to sell more albums." I would shut down my laptop and go to school. Because whether or not they're doing it for profit is not the issue for me here, the issue--and it's not even an issue, it's a good thing--is that people are seeing homophobia as wrong. Are these bands (and hell, let's be clear. There's only two bands--as kalpurna has said--that have been actively showing the love on stage)--are Fall Out Boy and My Chem really going to change everyone's mind? Hell no. Have they lost fans (yes. Hell yes. I know friends who have gone to shows and automatically disliked them because of their antics. Has it influenced me? No.) But you can't honestly say that you haven't been affected on way or another by not just their music, but their presence.
Each band has openly expressed their dislike of homophobia. Each band has said, in their very own words, that they don't see the issue, they don't like it at their shows (i.e, Gerard Way and his "hey listen up! All you racists, sexists, homophobes, and just plain assholes, we've got a message for you...go the fuck home! We don't want you here, don't buy our merch, and don’t listen to our music. If you have our CD, break it. We don't want you and we don't need you here." Yes, that is a direct quote, shut up.)
And hey, maybe they really did think acting queer on stage would open eyes to the whole aspect of homophobia and the fact that people can -- and have -- accepted love for what it is. ("Oh my God, they're kissing on stage! People are cheering, so it can't be that bad.") While I don't believe that at all, I wouldn't be pissed at all for this same fact. Because they tried. They tried to push the fucking limit with all of this shit--and hell, if that's what they were going for, I accept it. I support it.
I just choose to believe that it's not a fake, that's all.
This whole blackface thing--NO. Homophobia and racism are two very different things -- I've experienced them both. If -- and this is hypothetical, of course-- members of both bands went out there and tried to be black, talked the slang, wore the clothing, hell yeah -- there'd be backlash. There'd be so much fucking backlash like you wouldn't believe. I would be apart of that backlash, not for the fact that I am African American, but for the simple fact that they're exploiting a specific group, a race, period. In the way that ethincity may sometimes specify a certain person (as in, a job application or so -- you're asked for your race), sexual orientation can serve the same purpose as well, but the simple fact is: blackface would something they'd take off the stage. It's something that they could stop doing in a heartbeat, because, let's be honest, who the hell would believe that--for one second--Fall Out Boy/My Chem was actually ghetto/rap stars/etc. I do not believe -- for one second -- that these guys go off stage and shed their orientation like one would do clothing. I don't believe, for a second, that Gerard Way would kiss a member of his band on stage and wash out his mouth the next. I just don't.
Also, this Lance Bass thing. I was a N'Sync fan, and--like almost every teenage girl in America--was slightly amused/shocked/confused when Lance Bass came out. (Seriously, the first thing out of my mouth was "I FUCKING KNEW IT!") And then, after that, it was pretty much, "So, does he like blondes or brunettes?" Because I couldn't care less, I really couldn't, Lance Bass is a fucking sweetheart and hell, I'd kill for pictures. I don't believe Lance Bass is crying his eyes out because Pete Wentz likes to idle around his best friend/lead singer for a few songs. I don't even think he knows. I don't even think he cares. And dragging him into all of this is fucking pointless, this has nothing at all to do with Lance Bass. While he is a retired pop star, he is a person, and honestly, there was supposed to be an uproar. People were supposed to backlash. You don't think there's people out there calling Gerard a "faggot?" I understand Lance's predicament and am severely angered by the stupidity that the children, teenagers, and adults of America display, but this isn't just going on with Lance, or other gay stars, this is going on for everyone. EVERYONE. And while that doesn't mean I'm telling Lance to "suck it up and move on," this also doesn't mean that he's alone, specifically. Just becaue there's not a newspost going on about each time Pete Wentz is jeered at, called a queer, etc does not mean it's not happening. Hate crimes do happen and -- for that matter -- how many of them have you heard about? I've never heard about hate crimes dealing with homophobic violent nature, but we know it's happening. We know that it is very hard to be open and honest with the world and that, sometimes, people are hurt for it, by it, or because of it. But we have to believe that for every person against stage-gay, or homosexuality, there is a person for it. There are people who understand that love is love, and actually want to see their favorite bands on stage express that. (ie, bandom. GOD I LOVE THAT PLACE.)
So, I am not bothered at all by stage-gay. I like it, I accept it, I support. I don't support it being compared to black-face, and I don't support the post in question. I am not offended by the anti-stage gay comments made, but the blackface? You better believe it.
eta: FUSE is playing "Teenagers" right now. Okay, now I feel like everything's going to be all right. :D (How "Disney Channel" was that?)