The dull face of the 'generic gay'


Really should be rehearsing for tonight’s shows but I'm annoyed....(gets out soap box).

Gaydar (whose radio show I have appeared on and am never likely to again after this) placed a vending machine of men in Soho. So far, so good PR stunt.
Now I have nothing against those who spend every waking hour worrying about their perfect abs and buns or those who lust after them but where is the diversity here? It'd be like walking up to a sweet machine and find they only provide one type of candy. Something I'd always admired about gay males is the range of diversity on offer (unlike lady lovers who still have the populist clichés of femme and butch). 

Gays, queers, trans and other have always been outsiders from the majority. I'd hope that by being an outsider, we'd know what it is to be different and able to embrace and celebrate that diversity. It appears that we've been through so much liberation that what used to make us unique has been reduced down to everything looking and being the same...in a pair of pants.

I'm first to fight for my queer siblings against homophobia but I find myself drifting further and further away from what mainstream gay culture is offering me. Soho makes me wince with embarrassment and Vauxhall (except the RVT and Eagle) make me cringe. I love the idea of doing one of my events at a big gay super club but with the same old stuff being pumped out again and again, it's looking very unlikely.

Using my fathers fruit analogy of when I came out to him (“Well...I always thought you were a bit fruity”), queers, we're a bunch of fruits. Fruit comes in a wide selection of sizes, shapes, colours and tastes and we should be represented as the wonderful variations we are. Give me a fruit salad, not just a pair of plums.

From the reaction on my Facebook after posting this image, I am not the only one, so wake up Gaydar....not all gay men lust after hunks in trunks, give us a fruit salad.

While you're at it, can you sort out your music policy? That's all rather one dimensional too. Thanks.

x

P.S. Self loathing is eating people up. Be who you want to be. No matter what your body shape, build, lack of this or too much of that, love yourself first and fore mostly. You know I'm right ;-)

UPDATE Received this on my Twitter from Gaydar

 Thanks for your feedback! This was the vending machine's first outing, so watch this space for a variety of new 'stock' in future.


Which is rather odd. Still treating gays as commodities..sigh......