The leftwing site Huffington Post “Queer Voices” has posted a funny video take-down of LGBT advocacy groups.
If you didn’t know it was intended as a protest against “the modern climate of corporate LGBT activism,” showing that “Corporates commodify LGBT activism with the same zeal that they’ve commodified self-love,” as the video’s creators state in the accompanying “Queer Voices” article, you’d just think the satire was spot-on (unless, of course, the description is part of the satire).
20 Comments for “Life at ‘GULPTAB’”
posted by TJ on
The Huffington Post is probably more center left/third way then traditionally “left-wing”. I think its co-founder is a Republican bisexual……
posted by Jorge on
I wouldn’t confuse the fact that HuffPo leans brilliant with anything resembling ideological centrism.
posted by TJ on
Well. Maybe you don’t really understand the idea of third way politics. Especially, when you call it an “ideology”.
The jokes about how long the acroynoum has gotten or should be are not New. The gay Christian network used it in a play they did at a conference a while back.
posted by Kosh III on
You’ve been to GCN Conferences? Small world, so has my husband–several times.
posted by TJ on
I’m not wild about the usage of “queer” . Huffington adopted it, I get why. But “queer voices” is an odd title for mostly third way LGBT and allied writings.
posted by TJ on
Having worked/volunteered with several non-profits, I can say that petty office politics and board members getting a tad “absurdly mad power hungry” do exist in the nonprofit world (which I think is one of the points of the video). Its not limited to LGBT ones, although if you don’t do much work with nonprofits, maybe you think otherwise.
As for social media creators. Yeah, their are certainly people who will try really, really hard to connect their latest video to some big event or tragedy or charity. sometimes it works better than others.
As for celebrities, the fact that bisexual or gay celebrities don’t feel pressure to hide or lie is a good thing. Although it really depends on how successful they are and what sort of audiences they target. Sometimes the coming out decision is definitely done. partly, for marketing.
posted by Jorge on
I can say that petty office politics
“I think GULFTAP should be more inclusive of literally every identity”
Heavens, do you mean spacey people enter the workplace that way?
That’s right, folks, I called one or more of my professional colleagues spacey. Get over it. Oh, all right, co-workers who regularly say spacey things. Now get over it.
(disdain) “And as a __bonus__ the asterisk looks just like a __very special snowflake___.” Hey, that sounds just like me! He needs to work on keeping a straight face, though. Do that sweet grin instead.
posted by TJ on
I’d be more worried – initially – about your lack of interest in privacy rights as it applies to your coworkers.
posted by Jorge on
That does not make any sense.
posted by TJ on
Rick Santorum: No Right To Privacy Exists.
Jorge: I like Rick Santorum. But Im not sure how a lack of privacy rights would apply in the work place.
posted by Jorge on
I know I go off on weird word association tangents, but how on earth any reader was supposed to pick up “you like Rick Santorum and doesn’t believe a right to privacy exists” from that is beyond me. I’m glad I didn’t try to figure it out.
You sound like Chenzi talking about MP in Paladin’s Quest. Where did you come up with such a ridiculous theory? The free market and contract law negotiate privacy protection in the workplace.
posted by JohnInCA on
The free market and contract law negotiate privacy protection in the workplace.?
If you have to negotiate for it, there isn’t a right to it.
So yes, by saying it’s something to be negotiated, you’re agreeing there is no right.
posted by Jorge on
So what?
posted by TJ on
I find that sometimes leaders of nonprofits – potentially any large group with a similar hierarchy – can b
posted by TJ on
….great at say, fund raising or office book keeping, but may not great at other things.
With nonprofits, you do have to please the donors
posted by Tom Scharbach on
As a side note, Politico has an interesting interview with TPP’s five biographers about the direction that TPP is likely to take in the next month.
That aside, with respect to the current mess, I’m puzzled about the fact that the hard-core Christian right agrees that TPP’s “grab them by the pussy” braggadocio is normal male behavior.
I’ve been around a lot of locker rooms in my life (sports, Army, and so on), and I’ve heard a lot of coarse boasts about sexual exploits over the course of 70 years, but I don’t recall having ever heard any man brag about his ability to force himself on women.
Maybe that’s common talk/behavior in conservative Christian circles (given the obsession with women “subjecting” themselves to males, and so on), but I haven’t heard those kind of boasts from anyone I’ve ever been around.
posted by TJ on
Some of the longtime leaders of the “Christian Right” have been (1) hating all things Clinton since 1992 and (2) are really wealthy and see Trump as someone who will cut their taxes and allow them to hide their wealth.
Trump went through the motions of being a socially conservative, evangelical Christian (suddenly being pro-life-ish and backing bad judges).
posted by Jorge on
I’m puzzled about the fact that the hard-core Christian right agrees that TPP’s “grab them by the pussy” braggadocio is normal male behavior.
A gay person is saying that? Really?
The whole episode brings back very unpleasant memories for me.
but I don’t recall having ever heard any man brag about his ability to force himself on women.
Oh, that.
My take on Trump’s comments is that there are many situations in which there is no question there was sexual consent, in which the man then turns around and talks about the woman as if she is a dog who is always in heat.
posted by Tom Scharbach on
Tom: I’m puzzled about the fact that the hard-core Christian right agrees that TPP’s “grab them by the pussy” braggadocio is normal male behavior.
Jorge: A gay person is saying that? Really?
Yes, I’m puzzled — not by the fact that conservative Christians like Franklin Graham, Ben Carson, Tony Perkins, Brian Fischer, Michele Bachmann and a host of other lesser lights are sticking with TPP (that I expected) but by the insistence that normal men brag about having forced themselves on women, routine and unremarkable behavior. That’s what I find puzzling.
I was expecting something more along the line taken by Mike Pence (who wears his evangelical Christianity on his sleeve) at Liberty University: “As Christians we are called to forgive, even as we’ve been forgiven. Last Sunday night, my running mate showed humility. He showed what was in his heart to the American people.”
Or perhaps something along the line of what seems to have become the standard Republican line meme of the week: “We all knew what kind of man Donald Trump was when we nominated him. We aren’t electing the Pope.” The irony of evangelical Christians holding the Pope up as a moral exemplar aside, at least that meme tacitly acknowledges that TPP’s statement might have been inappropriate.
So yeah, I’m puzzled. I’m also curious.
I’m curious about if and how conservative Christians will react to TPP’s latest allusion to himself as the “suffering servant”, wrapping himself in the mantle of Christ: “I take all of these slings and arrows gladly for you — gladly.”
I’m also curious about whether the mainstream Jewish press will comment on the inherent anti-Semitism embedded in TPP’s “slings and arrows” speech. To me, the references were as obvious as they were to Legum. TPP is sounding more and more Alt-Right every day, and the resentment he’s stirring up through his dog whistles isn’t good.
posted by Jorge on
Yes, I’m puzzled… but by the insistence that normal men brag about having forced themselves on women
You have a higher regard for normal men than I do. No, I don’t think normal men brag about sexually assaulting women–but I do think men who do pass for normal.
Since as a gay person who never liked women I am probably biased, I would point to other social trends.
When I was in college (over a decade ago) I was taught that about 25% of couples or households (don’t remember which, yes I know the distinction is critical) experience domestic violence. I remarked to my academic adviser (I was a Psychology major) about how scary “normal” meant with such a statistic. I think she pointed to the distinction between common and normal–it was very wise.
And while men who brag about domestic violence are rare (I have encountered exactly once–women who brag about it are more common), it’s not that uncommon for me to pass by a man openly threatening violence over a cell phone.
There’s a much-argued statistic about the prevalence of campus sexual assault against women. And I know the distinction is critical again, but here, too, we see 20% reliably measured somewhere. For some reason, colleges have concluded there is a need to teach men what sexual consent is.
You hear every so often stories in small towns about gang rapes or sexual hazing, and what happens? The town becomes divided as people rally around the perpetrators and blame the victim.
Donald Trump is often described as someone extremely narcissistic and immature. He uses the defense of “locker room talk” to describe an event that happened when he was 59. If you look carefully you’ll find a belief in society that men outgrow predatory behavior toward women as they get older and more wise to the ways of the world (even I think there’s truth to this). Trump missed that stage of development.