Being ostracised by friends over kink at Pride

[TheEverlovingFork]

Ok first of all I am a) completely willing to be told I'm in the wrong and b) bisexual myself, but I am also a fairly conservative churchgoer and I'm aware my feelings might be really outdated.

Basically some friends and I were talking about Pride month and I said I didn't agree with explicit kink in the public parades, like the more extreme leather fetish gear and puppy-play and so on, because I think that no matter what your orientation is, being proud of your sexual identity doesn't equate to simulating/practising it in public. If i saw a straight couple in leather underpants grinding on each other in public I would wonder if they were unwell.

I completely understand the being able to kiss and hold hands and show romantic affection in public as that is an unthinking privilege heterosexual people have and it should be ok for all LBGT people. I've come in for a lot of homophobic abuse myself over the years for holding hands with a partner. I really get that aspect.

I just don't feel explicit bedroom antics are ok in the parades, and now I'm being told I'm a reactionary and not supportive of the community. I'm a member of the community myself, am I supposed to meld into the new acceptable groupthink as a bisexual? Didn't get the memo.

Anyway, maybe I am just uptight because of my religious beliefs. I don't know. If i had children I would not want them to see some of the the things I've seen in parades.

We live in an over sexualised society. Teens posting revealing photos on Instagram. Women masturbating for your husband on only fans. And now men wearing leather masks in public. I’m sick of it.

Can’t we all have a nice cup of camomile tea and some shortbread?

Can’t we all have a nice cup of camomile tea and some shortbread?

No, because both are vile. Coffee and sticky ginger cake, otoh...

is wearing leather or a puppy tail simulation though? i think wearing leathers chaps or latex or whatever is very different to simulating sex.

unless youre talking about people humping as they walk down the street

Even worse when it's the police doing it

I wouldn't take my kids anywhere near a pride parade, they are and excuse to publicly parade weird fetishes, you darnt say this out loud though as you'd be homophobic. I'd be all for a nice colourful parade, but that isn't what this is. My sil is married to a girl, she hates pride for this reason too, so you aren't alone.

Looks like the met police so not really surprised.

Hmmmm. The Village People/Frankie/Freddie Mercury celebrated leather wear/kink about 40 years ago so it's not exactly new.

I do agree that overtly sexual behaviour of any kind isn't appropriate in public, be it gay, straight or kink. Holding hands, kissing are fine, anything else take it to a room or to a club where it will be accepted and appreciated.

FFS. That picture of the police is exactly the reason not to go. Law enforcement gets kinky with heteronormative shit face grins.

I agree too.
The amount of men abusing pride in order to act out their fetishes in public is alarming. That's not what pride was supposed to be about.

Oh Yawn!
Imagine if your sex life was the most interesting thing about you?

ok well this is a bit much

Prude Month is a bloody brilliant idea.

That's true. But there's a difference between the creative expression of kink in fashion and art and a bunch of fetishists literally just wearing their kink gear out because they get off on it.

Count me in for Prude month too.

What do you wear to a Prude march And what does your banner say?

I think especially with all the negative commentary and scare mongering about grooming children through fetish gear etc it just plays into the hands of people who want to create their own harmful narrative.

Completely, and that's one of the things I genuinely fear, that when those people on the 'groomer' bandwagon get proper violent they'll have what looks like evidence to back up their accusations that the community are dangerous to kids.

I'm a lesbian and hate pride for this reason. I'll only go to the family events where you don't get the people dressing up. it's got nothing to do with sexual orientation pride and is purely a fetishism that anyone could have. I hate that when people think of me and lgb in general, a lot of people associate me with what they see at the parades.

Pearls, of course. My banner says 'down with this sort of thing'.

is wearing leather or a puppy tail simulation though? i think wearing leathers chaps or latex or whatever is very different to simulating sex.

There's a video from a US pride parade in West Hollywood doing the rounds featuring a man on a St Andrew's cross who is not just, er, wearing chaps

How do you distinguish? If someone wants to celebrate their sexual preferences in their appearance/costume then I don't see a problem. If they take it further by acting out their sexual preferences in public then, yes, that's not appropriate.

You are absolutely right.it is being taken too far and it's sad as it only encourages the narrow minded to think they are right and that anyone not ' straight ' is some sort of abnormal,self seeking exhibitionist.Clearly that is far from the truth.
Op I'm sorry you've faced hostility,it's so very unfair.

I totally agree with you OP. I am religious too and totally accept gay people - there are a few in our church and they are more than welcome and play an active role in the parish. I even know a gay priest and he is great!
However Pride is becoming less about promoting equality and more about promoting promiscuity, and gives gay people a bad name. They gay people we know aren't like this, dressing up in leather thongs and grinding against anyone and everything. They are in monotonous, loving relationships, or single but respectful, just like their heterosexual counterparts.

Totally agree OP.

I'm bisexual. 5 years ago I'd have said the local (big) pride parade was a family friendly event, I took my young kids, we had fun, joined in. Not anymore.

Pride has turned in to all the (negative) things the media thought about our community in the past. It's sad. Really, really sad.

This is an example of what imo is unaccrptablr.
This is a scene where these men are walking along, one guy is whipping the other and there's a little girl petting the human doggy.

I cannot believe that anyone could possibly think that's appropriate and tbh if anyone said they did think it was fine I would draw a very clear conclusion about them from that.

Pride is awful. Do you remember the one where loads of women reported being groped but the police weren't interested as the men doing it said they were gay so it wasn't sexual. Absolutely awful.