Uptight killjoys try to spoil all your fun
Mar. 5th, 2014 05:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sabotabbyIt's that time of year again when some stick-up-the-ass prude tries to make Pride Toronto, the biggest tourist event of the year, not happen because dudes rubbing dicks together makes them feel funny in their pants. This year, it's all quiet on the Queers Against Israeli Apartheid front, so it's back to the usual bugbear of the pearl-clutching set—Totally Naked Toronto Men, a.k.a. TNT!Men, a.k.a. the naked old dudes with wrinkly scrotes.
God, I love those guys. Seriously, if it wasn't for them, Pride would suck, and not in the fun way. It's not that I have a thing for wrinkled scrote (I don't) but if TNT!Men weren't letting it all hang out, Pride would be 100% co-opted by banks. Not that it isn't 99.99% co-opted, but the presence of these excellently freaky gentlemen is a reminder that Pride used to be a controversial protest. Plus, they are super-nice (I've marched behind them before) and always willing to help out when Pride is threatened by someone's stupid manufactured controversy, even if it doesn't affect them personally. Good folks.
Today's moral panic is courtesy of some boneheaded TDSB trustees, who want City Hall to guarantee thattheir the children's delicate sensibilities will not be offended by the presence of a bum or, god forbid, an actual peen. Because it's a family event and they have a float there.
Um.
To illustrate the sheer douchebaggery at play here, allow me to present an allegory. Let's say you throw a birthday party every year. It used to be you and a couple of your buddies, but word got around that you throw a great party and there's plenty of sweet cake and great cocktails there, so people you didn't know very well started showing up. Cool! The more the merrier. The invite's open, as long as no one's actively planning to trash your house.
Then, one of the acquaintances you invite says she'll show up. But, she says, you can't serve alcohol.
"But it's my birthday!" you protest. "You don't need to drink if you don't want to, but lots of people who come really like cocktails."
"I'm bringing my kids," your guest replies. "And it's inappropriate for them to be around drinking."
You don't remember inviting her kids, but fine. "That's your call," you say, politely. "I'd love to have you, and your kids there, but I'm a grown-up and it's kind of a grown-up party. So if you bring them, it's your job as a good parent to supervise them and explain to them that sometimes grown-ups like to drink, but they shouldn't drink until they're older."
"You'd better not serve alcohol at your party," your guest shrieks. "Or I'm calling the cops! Also I am gluten-free and my kids are allergic to peanuts and make sure the cake is vegan."
You see my issue here. Fortunately, like all initiatives aimed at destroying Pride, this one will flop, as Pride is a massive juggernaut and teh gays have disposable income. But the fact that it's my employer being ridiculous makes me extra angry.
God, I love those guys. Seriously, if it wasn't for them, Pride would suck, and not in the fun way. It's not that I have a thing for wrinkled scrote (I don't) but if TNT!Men weren't letting it all hang out, Pride would be 100% co-opted by banks. Not that it isn't 99.99% co-opted, but the presence of these excellently freaky gentlemen is a reminder that Pride used to be a controversial protest. Plus, they are super-nice (I've marched behind them before) and always willing to help out when Pride is threatened by someone's stupid manufactured controversy, even if it doesn't affect them personally. Good folks.
Today's moral panic is courtesy of some boneheaded TDSB trustees, who want City Hall to guarantee that
Um.
To illustrate the sheer douchebaggery at play here, allow me to present an allegory. Let's say you throw a birthday party every year. It used to be you and a couple of your buddies, but word got around that you throw a great party and there's plenty of sweet cake and great cocktails there, so people you didn't know very well started showing up. Cool! The more the merrier. The invite's open, as long as no one's actively planning to trash your house.
Then, one of the acquaintances you invite says she'll show up. But, she says, you can't serve alcohol.
"But it's my birthday!" you protest. "You don't need to drink if you don't want to, but lots of people who come really like cocktails."
"I'm bringing my kids," your guest replies. "And it's inappropriate for them to be around drinking."
You don't remember inviting her kids, but fine. "That's your call," you say, politely. "I'd love to have you, and your kids there, but I'm a grown-up and it's kind of a grown-up party. So if you bring them, it's your job as a good parent to supervise them and explain to them that sometimes grown-ups like to drink, but they shouldn't drink until they're older."
"You'd better not serve alcohol at your party," your guest shrieks. "Or I'm calling the cops! Also I am gluten-free and my kids are allergic to peanuts and make sure the cake is vegan."
You see my issue here. Fortunately, like all initiatives aimed at destroying Pride, this one will flop, as Pride is a massive juggernaut and teh gays have disposable income. But the fact that it's my employer being ridiculous makes me extra angry.
no subject
Date: 2014-03-05 10:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-05 10:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-05 10:51 pm (UTC)(I could probably be an extra on historical TV shows. A lot of my friends are apparently in Murdoch Mysteries, though I've never seen an episode.)
no subject
Date: 2014-03-05 10:55 pm (UTC)(OMG. See, you even have connections! That is clearly the ideal career for you. Think of all the costumes! All the attractive people you can meet! WHAT AN EXCELLENT IDEA.)
EDIT: That icon makes me want to laugh every time I see it and you keep using that icon in your replies to me today and I'm really amused by this.
no subject
Date: 2014-03-05 10:59 pm (UTC)So I'm doing all of this career exploration stuff with my kids, and one of the weird side-effects is that it makes me think about my own career choices. And I figured out that the #1 priority for me is stability. Not money, not location, not stress, not life fulfillment, but knowing that I have a steady source of income. Probably has to do with money stresses as a kid and lots of turmoil when I was a graphic designer, but anyway, it makes me not want to leave a job where I have a contract and a union and a pension.
Anyway. I can't say that applying for the other job wasn't at least a bit tempting, as it sounded interesting as anything, but it also sounded like something that the Tories would cut if they get into office. So.
no subject
Date: 2014-03-05 11:36 pm (UTC)Stability sounds good to me and you have a point. I honestly have no idea what I want out of a career (other than possibly not being totally horrible) so right now you sound like a genius or at least like a responsible adult to me.
no subject
Date: 2014-03-05 10:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-05 11:00 pm (UTC)