Rainbows

[Polestar50]

Is anyone else happy about the changed meaning of displaying a rainbow at the moment?

For the first time in ages, my heart lights up, rather than sinks down when I see a rainbow in a window. They are mostly hand drawn by children and are a lovely message of solidarity and hope.

I wonder if Stonewall, Pride etc are a bit miffed about 'their' symbol being taken away (however temporarily)?

Stonewall no longer view same-sex attraction as a thing - it’s all about being attracted to people’s genders - so they view genital preferences as transphobic nowadays.

Matt Hancock (and NHS) rainbow pins and lanyards are to show they are LGBTQI+ allies or part of the LGBTQI+ network at their workplace. Most civil service departments have them (mine has the lanyards).

I do like seeing the artwork, apparently it's bears next week according to my colleague with small children.

Is that a real sign? From Liverpool Uni? That's vile

It certainly does not come from the top, but from one of its captured departments. Some time ago I scanned the shelves of the 'gender studies/feminism' section in Blackwell's ( university bookshop) to see what it contained/and what it did not contain ( key feminist texts....), and then commented to a member of staff how the section was lacking in many critical texts, and was skewed towards TRA ideology. He said he's "speak to the LGBT officer about it".....Needless to say, it remains an ideological pure shelf...and a generation of young women/ lesbians have no access to to a thoroughly rounded education, or to the history of their struggle...at a British university.

It wasn't an official sign apparently, someone seems to have stuck it over something else that had the uni badge on.

He said he'd "speak to the LGBT officer about it

It has got to the stage when LGBT officers make decisions about core texts and about who gets invited/cancelled at university events.

There was a, shall we say, lively thread this week discussing this on AIBU.

For a while now I've not liked how the rainbow flag has been taken and twisted from a symbol of hope to a way to put women in their place.

Im enjoying seeing the image in windows how it should be seen - symbolising hope and optimism. For the time being anyway.

The cretins who abuse this are unfortunately like cockroaches so will still be having their own toddler tantrums when we get to the other side of this awful reality

Yes! I was going to post about this. Love seeing all the rainbows shorn of all the hamfisted political posturing.

He said he'd "speak to the LGBT officer about it

And the only letter that actually counts in that acronym nowadays is T.

In fact, what we are witnessing is "LGBT officers" actively re-writing history.....hence Selena Todd's cancellation. Joan of Arc was really 'trans' you know, and don't dare you say otherwise.

And just about every women who ever did anything extraordinary. Even Elizabeth I apparently... the assumption is that women are just a bit crap really, and any woman who did anything amazing wasn’t really a woman.

What does that tell you about some people’s philosophy?

Tellmewhen
Oh my. That AIBU thread!
Pretty much the opposite of what I am saying.

Haven't read the whole thing but it's interesting to see some posters on that thread making the distinction between a rainbow and 'the rainbow flag'. I hadn't thought of it that.

To be fair neither had I really and actually I think there are certain groups who would be happy for them to be muddled as one.

I'm encouraged by how measured this thread has started by comparison. There were the usual nonsense claims of transphobia (good to see that some things are constant even in a pandemic) ) at regular intervals just for discussing concerns and reasons for suspicion at the flag.

Thank you everyone for the links.

God promises not to kill almost all life on earth in the future.

That was very nice of god, we should all be grateful. (Sarcasm smiley)

God is a massive bloke who is very important.

Is Mankind god's worst invention or is god Mankind's worst invention?

DISCUSS!

(...just taking the piss out of you know who.)

Midnight rambler or whatever he's called.

A rainbow is a symbol of hope. If a group you disagree with having a version of it as their symbol, has got so inside your head that you can't see the real thing for what it is, they've won, right?

So to those on this thread who can't let go of that, work harder at it. And make the most of what a rainbow means to lots of children this week.

So to those on this thread who can't let go of that, work harder at it

Or alternatively should anyone on the thread not be able to let go of that

Its fine...you’re allowed to think and feel what you want and you don’t have to work hard to get rid of those thoughts

As long as you’re not actually attacking children making rainbows or smashing windows with rainbows in its all good

I think many agree with that.

I and some others have concerns and worries about groups which have appropriated the flag (thanks for Empress giving an example) and the consequence this could have - we're talking about groups with significant power, funding and clout

It's possible to love seeing pictures in windows whilst at the same time be concerned about what's happening in the background.

At my workplace rainbow pins and lanyards are an unwelcome reminder that my workplace has been Stonewalled.

Pictures of rainbows drawn by children to make people happy are absolutely beautiful and make my heart smile.

I'm encouraged by how measured this thread has started by comparison. There were the usual nonsense claims of transphobia

In the present crisis people do not have the energy to engage with people pushing their own bonkers ideologies. There's no point, and it would just give the ideologues justification for them to claim they're being oppressed.

This means that as soon as debate opens up again we have to be sharpish out of the starting blocks to be pushing back.

nauticant you're right. Time to look after oneself and be ready for when the crazies come back.

Stay safe, vipers

Iris is the goddess of the rainbow and messenger of the olympian gods. Messages and communication and links heaven to earth.

Even after all these years when I see a rainbow flag my first thought is always the Black Panther's Rainbow Coalition from the late sixties cuz I was young and not yet a cynical old baggage.

I was just thinking the same today, OP, while taking a brisk walk round a few local streets. Rainbows in the windows lifted my spirits.

One consolation in this Covid disaster is seeing the rainbow once again symbolising good things — solidarity, and hope, and children’s innocent optimism.

The rainbow flag used to symbolise all kinds of positive, cooperative things, including LGB. But the past few years it’s been appropriated by men bullying women. It was good to see it and smile again today

Same. For too long, men hid behind the rainbow and committed all kinds of revolting acts. Like the men who hid behind the sun.