There was a time, about 7 years ago, when I went on a casual double date. The guy I was dating was a friend’s friend and I didn’t know him that well. I wore a pink skirt and a white top – I remember because I still have a picture from that night. And he wore a black shirt and…pink pants. When I went to the washroom with my friend, I laughed about it. ‘What’s with the pink pants?!’, I remember saying. I would argue that it was only because I didn’t like that shade of pink, but I don’t think that would be completely honest.
I feel like I’ve evolved a lot since then. I was a teenager back in those days and a bit sheltered with no one and nothing to challenge the beliefs I had grown up with. I went to college with many amazingly talented people, including some who were gay and bisexual. Watching this video, I think back to all the recent times I’ve picked up arguments with people because of seemingly harmless comments like, ‘but this looks so gay!’ There is no ‘gay look’ unless you mean to say a ‘happy’ look by it. We say ‘dude, you’re so gay!’ just because a guy isn’t being a jackass all the time. ‘Gay’ is NOT an insult. Wearing pink or purple does NOT make a guy gay, just the way wearing a pantsuit doesn’t make a woman a lesbian. We don’t even realize how many stereotypes we still foster about the people around us until something like this video comes along and challenges us to stop and think. Watch #PRIDE by Prachee Mashru at UnErase Poetry and let her help you see some things a little more clearly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tteQyENg-kk
