To think there is a slightly homophobic reaction going on to the rainbow profile pics?

[hudyerwheesht]

I’m seeing an increasing amount of sarky MEME’s on FB basically bitching about the rainbow profile pictures and it’s rubbing me up the wrong way. Yes, I know people get annoyed at fads on FB and I get that but what exactly is wrong about wanting to celebrate the change in law in the States and show support?

And even if people are bandwagon-jumping – who fucking cares if it raises awareness/increases support?

There was an exceptional amount of bandwagon-jumping during the no make-up selfies and ice bucket challenges with the majority of people not even donating but no-one seemed to take issue with that.

Yes, I know, obviously different type of cause entirely but still...

AIBU to think therefore if it's not the joining of a fad that's annoying people but actual support of Pride/same sex marriage rights then that's dangerously close to homophobia? Or am I making a leap that isn’t there?

I’ve even seen one going around “supporting Straight Pride” – how ridiculous. If people can’t understand how much it not the same thing then I despair.

And yes, I’ve seen the other thread about the MEME joking about paedophiles changing their profile pics to rainbows – utterly vile and not the least bit funny imo.

I have a 'friend' who commented :

"Nothing against gays, but these multicoloured pictures, are giving me a headache! "

The only criticism I have seen of it was someone saying 'where were all these rainbow pictures before the laws changed, when public pressure was really needed to make a difference' which I think is a reasonable point. In an ideal world, people wouldn't need to change their profile picture to show that they are in favour of equal rights for people based on their sexuality.

As always though, if you find that you are seeing objectionable views on FB, it's because your friends hold these objectionable views.

I haven't seen any of this. I'm going to have to go and actively find the meme now.

I agree with dojo that there's more active stuff people could do but as a very visual display of support I thought it was nice.

Also loved the one of a rainbowed up Putin on horseback.

I don't have a rainbow profile even though I full support marriage equality and voted yes in the referendum we had here in Ireland, we had a "yes to equality" stamp months before the referendum as we were campaigning.

The only issue I see with the rainbow profiles could be the assumption that because you don't have one you are against marriage equality even though that couldn't be further from the truth in my case.

I don't need a rainbow picture to support Equal rights in another country.

I liked it, but my OH pointed out, we're big on this news for the US, where is their coverage of the Tunsia shootings, which for us is a big world event..... aparantly nowhere? (not sure on the validity of it as i'm not in the states)

I am just back from New York and the Tunisia shootings was big news there.

There are all sorts of things going round on FB that are meant to show 'support' to all sorts of worthy causes.

Not liking a FB chain mail is, to me at least, about the chain mail and utterly unrelated to an opinion on the issue itself.

Like this?

Sorry but I think you're getting upset over nothing.

And of course it doesn't amount to homophobia ffs.

Last quarter, Facebook passed 1.19 billion monthly active users, 874 million mobile users, and 728 million daily users.

That ^^ was as of January 2014

Of course there will be homophobic, non homophobic, non fad lovers and fad lovers amongst all of those people.

I haven't seen any negative reaction to the rainbow profiles (I have one). I agree it might have been an idea to have done it before the law changed, but the facility wasn't there - it was only set up afterwards in celebration of the law change. If it HAD been done before, as a lobbying exercise, I would have changed my profile then too - but it wasn't.

I have also signed petitions and posted other supportive memes many times - this is a celebration, so I'm happy to be part of it.

I don't like them because they're just pointless and a hollow gesture. As are ALL Facebook memes. And by the way this ruling didn't even happen in our country!

Well YABU on the point about no one complaining about the ice bucket challenge, plenty of people did, people complain about everything, so not likely this does not immediately = homophobia.

I find them a little annoying from my UK based friends who probably aren't even aware that it is currently not legal for same sex couples to marry in Northern Ireland - part of their own country, and think there energy could have been better spent changing their profile pic to say something about this.

I've seen a sarky Daily Mash post which poked fun at people posting the rainbow filter "to show their support for LGBT rights in a way that doesn't involve getting up from their computer." I thought it was pretty funny actually and did indeed undermine the point that more tangible support before the battle had been won would probably have been more helpful.

It's the whole "virtue signalling" thing that this particular piece was skewering and it's a phenomenon that people have a right to send up, what with being a free country and all that.

If anybody thinks this view makes me a bigot I would be very upset and explain otherwise.

That was "underline" the point not undermine it. Sheesh.

Liking - stupid phone.

Doesn't this kind of thing happen when people become FBfriends with all and sundry? I've never had any if these kinds of FB issues that are in MN, but I put that down to the fact that I am only FB friends with actual friends (so less than 60). A few have rainbow pictures, most don't though I'm pretty sure all support equal rights, and no negative comments at all.

Its not a hollow gesture from me. I spent most of my adult life in US, always voted for equal rights and to allow gay marriage. My profile is now rainbow, in celebration that they finally have some equality, they'll never truly have everything that straight white people have, thats the US for you. Just about all my US friends have it too.

I'm not "getting upset" - I'm just trying to work out whether people's reaction is to do with being annoyed at fads or a more unpleasant attitude towards equal rights.

Throughout the whole of the ice bucket/no make up fads I saw a grand total of one MEME taking the piss out of it whereas I've seen half a dozen criticising the rainbow ones in the last day alone. I'm just trying to work out why the animosity?

Agree that it would have been much, much more useful to have had it in place beforehand.

I think a lot of people don't get it because it's not celebrating something that's happened here? When we made gay marriage illegal, people barely batted an eyelid but now it's happened in the US, there's a big uproar about it.

I know a lot of English people who have commented saying things like "I didn't see anything like this when we legalised it two years ago" etc. They see it as a fad as opposed to people actually caring.

I have no opinion on this fad apart from the fact I always have to double check who the person is as all these rainbows have kind of blended everyone into a single user on my news feed.

Although locally I've heard a few people saying that the only people with rainbows are gay and that straight people don't do it. Most of my FB is straight so not sure where they got that from.

I've seen half a dozen criticising the rainbow ones in the last day alone. I'm just trying to work out why the animosity?

It's YOUR friends demonstrating this animosity - why not ask them?

But it's just a photo filter. Why would it have been helpful to have had it in place before? Does it have magical uniting-of-the-people properties?

I get the sentiment, I think it's lovely. It's also really not a big deal though - whatever anyone's opinion of it.

I thought it was set up for London Pride not for the U.S. Law changes.