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Cameron is an illustrator hailing from Ohio. When she’s not drawing, she’s probably very, very quietly having loud thoughts about: queer things, her eventual shop, what to watch next on Netflix, food, names for her future pets, and tumblr.
Cameron has written 76 articles for us.
Love this.
this is perfect. I always feel a little like a bad gay this time of year but if there was a Kinsey scale for parades and parties I’d be a 0.
Hilarious ! I so love your art
Love this.
My sister went to pride as an ally. That was enough participation for me, I stayed home. ??♀️
yes EXACTLY
Long time reader/lurker but I had to make an account because of this comic…
When did ‘extra sexual’ become an appropriate critique of pride? It is such homophobic statement!
I don’t really see how that would be a homophobic statement?
I guess I see where you’re coming from in that queers are often criticised for being inappropriate/inappropriately sexual for doing the exact same things that straight people do, and *that’s* homophobic for sure.
But I think Cameron is just saying that Pride is an extra sexual place and they’re personally not into that vibe? and that’s ok? If anything, I think it’s a really valuable statement to make, because queer spaces are often sexualised or sexually focused in a way that makes some queers not feel good in them, and that’s a conversation that should be happening more! ?
I’d say it just comes off as a criticism of someone who has not actually engaged in pride directly that often? Or has internalized negative messages about pride from homophobic and faux-radical sources because they feel the need to justify an otherwise neutral dislike of the vibe? like sure there might be ~~~sexual~~~ aspects to pride but prides are typically pretty big affairs with many different elements and subgroups at play.
Saying that seeing a lot of ‘queer pda’ makes someone uncomfortable could come off as vulnerable if deliberately and explicitely put in the context of their own internalized homophobia, as a result of a knee-jerk engagement with respectability politics which is not, like, commendable but is also a normal reaction considering the wider homophobic environment.
But just as a blanket assertion that pride is, universally and by all metrics, “extra sexual”? Seems either misinformed or thoughtless considering the amount of homophobic vitriol that is levied at pride on that exact basis.
this is a first person comic about one person’s experiences and perspectives — pride can feel too sexual to cameron without it meaning that pride is “too sexual” overall. if you’ve read her previous work you might understand why she feels that way a little better…
https://www.autostraddle.com/some-things-a-something-404127/
it’s specifically titled “pride isn’t for everyone.” so it can be for lots of people without being a good fit for cameron specifically, you know?
Exactly! And as a brown woman I’m especially disturbed that ‘extra sexual’ is put on the same level as pigs at pride. It’s kind of ignorant of the history (and current reality) of how public sexuality is policed for people of color and LGBT people. Public sex is an LGBT rights issue to be honest.
I don’t think someone’s sexual orientation validates a homophobic argument.
(Also, I get that pride is not for everyone… I rarely go to pride in my city because of how white it is.)
They aren’t on the same level, though? Like, that panel that lists the complaints is the center of the venn diagram between Pride and A-Camp. Cops and corporations are on the non-overlapping part of the Pride circle, the part that makes the hot, crowed, sexual, loud, walking elements not bearable at Pride. In contrast to where they’re part of something beloved on the A-camp side.
Good grief. A) the cartoonist is also a POC, and b) if you want to get into a call-out culture pissing contest, it borders on acephobic to say that a person on the ace spectrum isn’t allowed to express their personal discomfort around taking part in events that largely cater to sexual people.
And frankly, I don’t think it’s a controversial statement to say that Pride parades are generally more sexual in nature than most other kinds of parades. Yes, it would be homophobic to suggest that there’s something inherently wrong with that, and/or that it shouldn’t be allowed, but that is not at all what’s happening here.
This exactly!
Sometimes I think that our sexual orientation is the only aspect of our lives that is allowed to define us.
I, for one, am more than the sex that I’m attracted to.
Hello. I am the cartoonist. This is a comic about my personal feelings about Pride. Pride was there years ago when I needed queer community more than I hated crowds. Pride continues to be here to provide a safer space for sexual expression as I come into accepting that I Am Just Not A Very Sexual Person today. Pride isn’t a space I feel drawn to anymore. But if you like it, that’s great, have fun!
It’s so annoying that you have to explain this! 2018 needs to chill with the petty call out culture IMO. IMHO!!!
Also I am so right there with you w/r/t the heat, crowds and obnoxious corporations! Did Pride in London last year and I’m good to never go again.
Completely agree. Even if this was “just one person’s opinion”, it’s a sentiment I’ve been seeing A LOT this year especially, and it’s just straight up untrue, as well as a rehashing of an age-old homophobic nonsense. Words have history, even if you “didn’t mean it that way”, this is encouraging people who DO mean it that way to continue calling us oversexualized and not letting their kids go to pride events.
oh I love this! (I secretly don’t like rainbows but try to keep it as secret as possible)
(ok, we won’t tell anyone)
;-)
<3 It's a lot of colors- it hurts my eyes.
GF and I were discussing if we want to go to pride today and I'm just like, "I don't really want to but I also have FOMO."
I am also an introvert who hates summer and has a bad ankle!!!! I’ve had a great time at Pride before–it meant a lot to trek to San Francisco for dyke march when I was a baby queer–but this year it just felt like so much effort and sunscreen and heat and people.
I’ve been lurking here too and had to make an account for this post as well. I often feel like I’m a bad lesbian for not liking or being into everything everyone else is, especially Pride. It’s cool if some people love Pride but it’s not for everyone.
Ive been out 7 years and never been to pride and, i just dont want to, yknow? Maybe one day ill go and love it, but for now im happy being a professional queer every ofher day of the year.
I always feel like I have to go to pride for the baby queers.
Also for my 20 year old self, standing at the sidelines and wearing a pink button up, nervous as hell, if you want to get psychological about it.
Yeah. I go for the young people too. Today I saw a young trans person holding a sign saying “hug me, I’m trans” so I did. And I wished them happy pride. That made my Pride. (That and the unicorn doing a handstand).
I went to Denver Pride on Saturday and I wouldn’t mind that type of crowd but it was sooooo corporate that it actually ruined it for me. Also there was way less trans* stuff than last year :( I couldn’t find any NB pins at all. Shouldn’t we be stepping it up with this administration? What is even the point?
even considering going to pride makes me burrow even further in my covers
i love pride parties and i hate the pride parade and i love this comic and i love cameron, just fyi <3
oh stahp