What should our culture be?

[G@yWad69]

Every fringe group in society creates their own culture. Racial minorties have their culture, neurodivergent and mentally ill have their culture, physically disabled people have their culture, etc. Queer people have their own fashion sense, have their own vernacular and speech patterns, have their own activities(like ballroom or drag).

What should ours be? What could ours be? The gays have flamboyance and colorful clothing and artistry and styles of dance and we dont really have that at all. We need a culture to foster a wider community and sense of bonding, how do we build that? Should we start here? What are your ideas for our culture? I was thinking like how gays bend gender norms we can bend age norms, kind of like ageplayers, by doing more childish activities, sense of style and associating with things associated with children, to the point where like how you see a man dressed femmininely you can say “oh thats a gay” you can see a map dressed childishly(in a good way) and go “oh thats a map”. A subtle dogwhistle and a way to be out and proud but still have plausable deniabillity. Saying something without outright saying it. Like how the gays wore hankerchiefs in their backpocket. Maybe we can all wear pastels or something? Pastels for pride? And you still have plausabile denabillity “oh I just like the colours”

[RoosterDance]

Eh, I think this is one of those things that is futile to think too hard about. You can never predict what will catch on with people, you just gotta let it happen. But best you can do is put more emphasis on ideas that come up naturally. Besides, We already have things like the BL, GL, and CL symbols.

[JeroentheGoon]

Interesting question there..... Personally, I’d be careful trying to define a “culture” too quickly.... especially in ways that might draw public attention for the wrong reasons.

Every group you mentioned (LGBTQ+, neurodiverse, etceteraa) built their identities over decades, out of SHARED struggles.... but also from mutual care and political organization..... The symbols, language, and styles you see now came way after those deeper layers were built i think.

For me.. if there’s a culture to shape here, it starts with honesty, safety, and mutual support.... Not going against eachother... Not aesthetics. Not codes. Cause I’d prefeer to be recognized for how I act.... responsibly, ethically.....than what color shirt or logo I wear. Culture has to earn public trust before it earns pride symbols.

And... some of us are parents.. like me... Some are isolated. We're not all trying to be visible... many are just trying to survive without harm.

I think our “culture” starts with listening. With helping each other make it through another day in one piece.

Peace!