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.

Perhaps, at a time of national crisis - you don't stick a rainbow sign in your window that tells predatory men, "Here be victims."

As others have pointed out, there is a difference between the LGBT rainbow flag (which I would never put in my window for all the reasons mentioned by the OP) and a child’s drawing of a beautiful, natural phenomena (which I would).

As for your conspiracy theories about the nefarious motives of the shady characters behind the current ‘craze’ for putting rainbow paintings and drawings in windows... Does it really matter? The reason it took off was because children liked it! And they liked it for entirely pure, innocent, wholesome, positive reasons!

I really don’t see what the problem is.

I am, however, sorry if I was a bit rude and insulting in my previous post. I’m just really baffled by this thread!

If anyone knocks on my door thinking I'm a "vulnerable household" because I put a rainbow up, they'll be a bit disappointed, I think.

OP, there's been something mentioned on this thread that I find very "triggering" ( for want of a better term). It's something that has been mentioned in the media a fair bit recently, and that I hear radio adverts for. It would not have this effect on the vast majority of the population, but it does on me because it is synonymous with something very horrible that happened to me.

I would never expect this thing not to be mentioned in my presence, that would be impossible. I recognise that the issue is with me and what I have experienced. I am having therapy to process what I have been through, and gradually, my reaction to this thing is lessening.

You have clearly been through some horrible experiences, but I have to urge you to recognise that for the majority of the population a rainbow is a positive, happy symbol of hope that provides comfort and joy during these dark times. It is a reminder that there are happier times to come. You associate it with your distressing exoeriences, and I do absolutely recognise how difficult it is when something that is part of the natural world is so upsetting, but this cannot mean that it it is a bad, negative symbol for everyone else.

You cannot ‘take’ the rainbow from my children. I will point them out in the sky. I will let them draw it. I will not throw out their rainbow toys.
What if some negative group took a cat as their symbol? We should all rehome our pets?

I truly don’t understand this thread. The rainbow is a sign of oppression? I think I’ve heard it all now. Blimey. What a weird post.

Are there bands of predatory men roaming the streets there? Here we're on lockdown.

And by putting rainbows in your windows, you are now making yourselves vulnerable to men who will look at your rainbows and spot a naive person, and turn up at your doors, asking if they can do anything to help you, in this time of crisis.

Oh my lord this again.

THEY ARE NOT COMING FOR YOU

OP you sound absolutely bonkers!

I am a lesbian and love rainbows, the more I see them, the happier I get (definitely don't feel oppressed by looking at one), plenty of kids love rainbows (who doesn't?) and I couldn't care less that they do, in fact I quite enjoy the fact they do.

Kids drawing a rainbow aren't making a point about women or LGB issues ffs. Let them be kids and draw rainbows and whatever else they want, in fact as a former teacher/nanny, I have spent quite a lot of time teaching kids to oppress me draw rainbows.

What type of LGB people do you know is claiming the actual rainbow as their own? People like you, OP, are actually adding to the oppression women like me go through by portraying the LGB community as completely unreasonable and bonkers.

If you can't bear the sight of rainbows without seeing oppression to the point you think kids should be banned from drawing rainbows, a (virtual) visit to your therapist might be very much needed as this is not a reasonable nor acceptable request.

Haven't RTFT but get the gist. If I were to put a rainbow drawing in my window, I would add the words “reclaim the rainbow”.

Every house with a rainbow in a window - in these troubled times - indicates itself as a vulnerable household with children, ripe for exploitation, because of naivety. Be very careful.

Oh yeah, I'm totally petrified......... going to be exploited non stop ....... 🌈 🌈

Why must every thing that is a ray of hope during troubled times be seen as sinister?

It's a rainbow!

This thread illustrates what's wrong in discussions about some societal oppression. OP totally convinced that everyone in the world will go along with the conviction that something innocuous is offensive to a minority group and getting annoyed and defensive when the majority of people have no idea what she's on about-but in turn the majority of people then get annoyed and dismissive of her, because they see her as trying to take something positive and innocent and ascribe a sinister meaning to it.

No one is disputing your experience OP but spouting doom and gloom about rainbows meaning people are asking for men to come and attack them just reduces the strength of your argument. That just isn't what what they mean to the huge majority of people and never will be. In short, if you want to be heard, as you have every right to be make sure you have something credible to say. You are focussing on kids drawings in windows, and those aren't your real issue are they?

In the words of Greta Thunberg, “How dare you.” How dare you take a rainbow, a meteorological phenomenon, and claim it for one community over another? That isn’t how these things work. Everyone can enjoy rainbows, OP. Just differently.

I’m very GC, but this has gone totally off the reservation, OP. Gender critical feminism doesn’t and shouldn’t lead to thinking like this. Basically, what Cwenryth said, earlier.

Slow handclap for handing people a stick to beat feminists, with, though.

🙄

I think this is THE most bizarre thing I’ve seen on mumsnet, and that’s saying something. Children shouldn’t draw rainbows because they don’t belong to them they belong to the LGB community? That’s just such an obscure way of thinking.

I’m trying to point out the danger to your children, of what you are doing.

Perhaps, at a time of national crisis - you don't stick a rainbow sign in your window that tells predatory men, "Here be victims."

That’s the absolute stupidest thing I’ve ever read on Mumsnet.

It’s a rainbow. Not a rainbow flag. 99% of the population will interpret it the exact same way as they would a drawing of a sun or a unicorn - just a nice kiddie drawing. Yes it indicates there are children in the house but so do a thousand things.

I’m deeply worried by the attempt to ban anything remotely associated with trans people on the basis that anything associated with trans people is tainted and wrong.

We’ve had threads in the past that were extremely disableist trying to ban disabled people from using terminology that’s been used by the disabled community for decades, simply because some of the same terminology happens to be used by some trans people.

Even if it was a rainbow flag, the flag is used by ALL LGBT people. 99% of people see the rainbow flag and think “gay people” not “evil evil trans whose very existence is LITERALLY KILLING WOMEN!!!!!!!!!!!” As a lesbian who has displayed the pride flag for 30 years, I’m sure as hell not going to let bigots who are exploiting GC to promote homophobia stop me from displaying a symbol that means so much to gay and lesbian people.

I’m honestly amazed we haven’t had threads claiming that trans people breathe air, so OMG HOW DARE YOU STOP BREATHING AIR THIS SECOND it’s tainted and by breathing air you’re implicitly supporting evil evil trans people!

And... we’re in a PANDEMIC. No one’s knocking on anyone else’s door you complete and utter numpties.

And by putting rainbows in your windows, you are now making yourselves vulnerable to men who will look at your rainbows and spot a naive person, and turn up at your doors, asking if they can do anything to help you, in this time of crisis...But you did not realise that the rainbow flag is now a men's rights symbol. And more particularly, a men's sexual rights campaign. That's what the rainbow stands for now, in 2020

You are now going too far. You think that perfectly lovely men will spot a child's painting of a rainbow (not the rainbow flag but literally just colourful weather) in a window and suddenly turn into a sexual predator? Men like my dad and husband, are going to start harassing women and children? You man-hating bigot. I find your vile nonsense very offensive. Why can't you understand the difference between the flag using stripes of colour from the rainbow and an actual rainbow innocently painted by a child? If all the men you know will become sex pests every time the see a rainbow then you need to mix in different circles.
Or maybe, just maybe, the vast majority of men will barely notice the rainbows or give a little smile and move on. What YOU believe the rainbow to mean in 2020 is not the same as what it means to the vast majority of people. So stop your vile anti-man agenda. It's offensive and wrong. You are the one trying to spoil children's innocence and make everything sinister. You don't have the right to spoil rainbows for everyone. They don't belong to anybody.

Most people see it as just a rainbow or would see a flag and say oh 'gay pride.' The rest of it is nonsense and men will not be targeting g homes with rainbows in the window! Does it make me a target of something, but not sure what if I wear a pretty jumper with a rainbow on it, or my child has a rucksack covered in rainbows and unicorns? No!
It is simply a nice thing to cheer everyone up at the moment. OP you asked who started this? Probably a mum who's kid painted a rainbow and she thought it would be nice to share it.
This is an innocent, lovely thing and those that are getting worked up over it need to figure out their priorities right now.

But you did not realise that the rainbow flag is now a men's rights symbol. And more particularly, a men's sexual rights campaign. That's what the rainbow stands for now, in 2020.

For a tiny minority. So why leave it to them? What is wrong with taking the symbol back?

Lol

I think you need support OP.

People can put rainbows in their windows if they want to.

The leprechaun and his pot of gold will look after my rainbow

And I thought this thread couldn't get any more batshit .....

Jesus- the LGBT community don't own the rainbow. im carrying a 'rainbow' baby (baby after the loss of another) I don't profess that every mother who hs miscarried has more rights to a rainbow than anyone else- its a symbol and it means different things to everyone. Jez- how arrogant can't you get. im sorry if your circumstances mean you are uncomfortable with some things- but come one!!!!