Please don't put a rainbow in your window!

[RuffleCrow]

For the past few years the rainbow has sadly becomea symbol of silencing, sexual stereotyping and oppression for a lot of women and those in the LGB community. If you're thinking of putting one up, please think about how that may make women feel - many of whom have already experienced death threats and lost their friends and jobs thanks to those who wield the rainbow flag as a weapon.

I just saw two on my walk just now and it made me feel like shit. Not the intended effect I'm sure. Please consider something else: the sun coming out from a cloud, or a simple landscape. Thanks.

Congratulations to the OP for winning the most ridiculous thread on Mumsnet so far this year award. Just unbelievable

Thank you @Littletabbyocelot wouldn't have made that link myself .

I hope kittens are still OK .

OP I would genuinely question your need for support if when you look at rainbows and puppies that are designed to appeal to children in context you see sexualised issues. That honestly raises some serious questions for me about your perspective.

Life is hard at the moment , your need to bang the drum (and I truly truly hope your issue is as innocent as that because I'm trying not to see you as sinister ) does not trump childrens need to find a bright spot in a horrific situation.

Go away , look at getting help

Wow

My mind has been well and truly blown by thread

There's obviously a whole world of over thinking that has thankfully passed me by. I think I'm sending dh to the shop to at least try to find some g&t.

I'm as GC as they come and am jaded by the current state of affairs.

All while wearing Run and Fly rainbow dungarees. I bloody love a rainbow and my DS has enjoyed spotting the ones drawn by his classmates as we have wandered the village today.

I think it's important we celebrate them for what they are: a symbol of change, the movement from rain to sun. We all need that.

I'm not handing over my personal rights and freedoms and I'm certainly not giving up the cheeriness of a simple rainbow.

Pups at Pride. It's a fetish but so fun for kids. Yay.

I've seen rainbows in windows drawn by children. It made me smile and warmed my heart because I knew they'd done it as a message to the outside world to make us feel happy. I'm a woman. I have no problems with rainbows. They're my favourite natural phenomenon. Stop being so ridiculous. Not all of us feel the same as you do, stop speaking on our behalf.

to appeal to children in context

Exactly, spectacularly missing context, children drawing rainbows to put in the window as something fun for people to spot has absolutely fuck all to do with LGBT issues.
To automatically see it as sexual (as seen with conflating with fetishes) and with women being oppressed is really, really disturbing.

Francis makes sense.

I'm actually quite worried that these are the ideas you are passing onto your children.

If your daughter drew a rainbow would you presume this was linked to the ideas you have been stating or that she simply drew a pretty picture? Realistically which is most likely??

Dear me. I too am GC, but my 6 year old drew a rainbow on his last day at school, and it went straight on our window.

This global state is difficult enough without having to explain to a small child that we can't put one up because a grown up doesn't like it. My daughter loves rainbows and wears a lot of them so I'm sorry you are upset but you are an adult and a small bit of joy when my child who is literally having nightmares about dying.. Nope sorry. FYI she is in the sevey at risk category and she's aware she has heart and lung conditions. She has been on lockdown for nearly 3 weeks. No visitors etc is a sen child so if she wants to look out of our window and see a rainbow then she bloody well will and she will put them in our windows. A rainbow is the universal symbol of hope.. You know sunshine after the storm. Plus my daughter is a rainbow baby..

People are putting up rainbows with the message that everything will be alright. It's the sun after the rain.

Rainbows can have different meanings and be used by different people.

With the best possible intentions, OP, get over it.

I know nothing of sexual politics but I do know maths.

Number of adults upset by pictures of rainbows in windows=1
Number of children made happier by drawing and displaying a picture of a rainbow = thousands.
You lose.

"there's a whole symbolic language at play that the adults who dream these things up are well aware of but know that children aren't."

Judging by this thread, most adults aren't aware of it either. Talk about making something out of nothing.

It may have been posted but l do like this "catch me the colours of the rainbow,
Glistening after the rain.
Catch me the colours of the rainbow,
and show me the blue sky again.

Catch me the colours of the rainbow,
and build me an arch in the sky.
Catch me the colours of the rainbow,
Now the storm has passed by." Feels a bit twee but can't wait for the metaphorical 'blue skies' again!

@02RuffleCrow

I think people should stop adopting symbols like rainbows to represent their problems or oppression...They should design original symbols and then the rest of us can display beautiful things to promote joy.

I have a rainbow bear as there are two sets of childrens treasure hunts in my area. One for bears and one for rainbows.

I think imposing other peoples views on an innocent activity is wrong.
It has a positive meaning to me and we have to be sensible with the reasons we do things. The bad feeling you had was personal to you sorry and shouldn't be imposed on others.

Hmm. Trying to link LGBT people and rainbow flags to paedophilia. Interesting.

I don’t who has taken the rainbow and turned it into this kind of symbol.

I’ve loved rainbows for as long as I can remember I’ve had clothing with them on etc for years and years!

The bad feeling you had was personal to you sorry and shouldn't be imposed on others

Exactly

In my village people are putting bears in their windows for children to spot on their walks. Clearly this is an underground recruitment drive to allow gay men to prey on innocent children, eh @RuffleCrow? Some might say that’s regressive, homophobic stereotyping but thankfully you alone recognise the danger of children being exposed to symbols of any kind, and are on a one woman crusade to protect the nation’s children from the predations of the LGBT community.

RuffleCrow

Get a grip.