The world has gone mad. As a "straight" (whatever that means) woman with a diverse group of friends, I find this backward trend against the LGBTQ+ community so awful. Why can't people accept people for who they are instead of derrogatory descriptions and name calling? I do despair x
Great piece. The inability to countenance difference, let alone enjoy it as many of us do, speaks to a pitifully fragile self, and a stunted world experience. Who is raising these brittle toddler-adults to see threat rather than possibility in everything they don't understand?
What a fascinating read, I love folklore, myth etc, and don't get why some people are so upset, ignorant, when it comes to appreciating the great diversities of we human beings! Another new book for me I think!
I reached a less than tentative conclusion a while back. One that I see as applicable to the human condition as a whole and very relevant to the theme of this piece.
Humans are primitive creatures and find ways to channel the characteristics inherent in that condition into the way they conduct their affairs.
Aggression, territorial ambitions. Identity whether family, tribal, geographical, religious or based around gender or sexuality are all underpinned by species based characteristics.
And those drives create the tensions and horrors that play out before us. Including fear of the other.
That humans seek meaning and where no answer is obvious make up fantastical shit like religions / faiths that have their origins millennia ago and still hold sway leads to where we are.
A species that is both technically and in some cases philosophically and morally sophisticated, hindered by the primitive aspects of our being.
I fully agree. Humans are inherently tribal, which means the tribe sticks together in the face of a threat. But I believe that in modern society where tribal boundaries are less distinct, a PERCEIVED threat can result in people looking for a tribe in which to feel protected. Life today is fragile for many people, which amplifies feelings of threats. Hence we see popular backlashes against anyone different - immigrants, religions, LGBTQ, etc. - egged on by a populist media controlled by rich barons whose aim is to keep the masses distracted by infighting while they stack up their money bins.
The solution is to make life better and more secure for everyone, to remove the sensation of threats. And this comes down to adopting sane economic policies rather than the 45 years of neo-liberal garbage that Thatcher foisted on us. A modern state does not depend on the economy, it creates and directs it.
Hi Rick. Although the concept was originally used to described a broad economic class, the term ‘precariat’ might be an effective descriptor for the lives of so many people.
Neoliberals of all stripes have a deeply invested interest in fomenting and maintaining conflict in society.
From my own experience and observation, once people have committed to that mindset there is little chance of changes it becomes deeply embedded.
Influence including economic policy is best directed at those still amenable revision and reason.
The world has gone mad. As a "straight" (whatever that means) woman with a diverse group of friends, I find this backward trend against the LGBTQ+ community so awful. Why can't people accept people for who they are instead of derrogatory descriptions and name calling? I do despair x
Oh, big sigh ☹️
(Again) Repeat after me:
*There’s no such thing as normal
*Celebrate the rainbow
Love is love
Don’t be afraid of ppl different from you…
Stop being a tw@t
When’re people going to move on! Jeez, it’s not hard!!!
Everyone, everyone is HUMAN!!!
Wow, this is like a crossover episode of two of my favourite writers! Queer as Folklore is such a fantastic read and Sacha is a lovely person❤️
Great piece. The inability to countenance difference, let alone enjoy it as many of us do, speaks to a pitifully fragile self, and a stunted world experience. Who is raising these brittle toddler-adults to see threat rather than possibility in everything they don't understand?
My experience is that the hatey people always enjoy bullying anyone 'not like them'
What a fascinating read, I love folklore, myth etc, and don't get why some people are so upset, ignorant, when it comes to appreciating the great diversities of we human beings! Another new book for me I think!
I reached a less than tentative conclusion a while back. One that I see as applicable to the human condition as a whole and very relevant to the theme of this piece.
Humans are primitive creatures and find ways to channel the characteristics inherent in that condition into the way they conduct their affairs.
Aggression, territorial ambitions. Identity whether family, tribal, geographical, religious or based around gender or sexuality are all underpinned by species based characteristics.
And those drives create the tensions and horrors that play out before us. Including fear of the other.
That humans seek meaning and where no answer is obvious make up fantastical shit like religions / faiths that have their origins millennia ago and still hold sway leads to where we are.
A species that is both technically and in some cases philosophically and morally sophisticated, hindered by the primitive aspects of our being.
I fully agree. Humans are inherently tribal, which means the tribe sticks together in the face of a threat. But I believe that in modern society where tribal boundaries are less distinct, a PERCEIVED threat can result in people looking for a tribe in which to feel protected. Life today is fragile for many people, which amplifies feelings of threats. Hence we see popular backlashes against anyone different - immigrants, religions, LGBTQ, etc. - egged on by a populist media controlled by rich barons whose aim is to keep the masses distracted by infighting while they stack up their money bins.
The solution is to make life better and more secure for everyone, to remove the sensation of threats. And this comes down to adopting sane economic policies rather than the 45 years of neo-liberal garbage that Thatcher foisted on us. A modern state does not depend on the economy, it creates and directs it.
Hi Rick. Although the concept was originally used to described a broad economic class, the term ‘precariat’ might be an effective descriptor for the lives of so many people.
Neoliberals of all stripes have a deeply invested interest in fomenting and maintaining conflict in society.
From my own experience and observation, once people have committed to that mindset there is little chance of changes it becomes deeply embedded.
Influence including economic policy is best directed at those still amenable revision and reason.