Jae's Campaign For Fabtastic Queers

written 25/09/05

Last night I sat reading Gay Times and yet another article about the commercial exploitation of the GLBT community and the homogenisation of the scene, when I could take it no longer. What has happened to us?

Back in 1998 when I was taking my first tentative steps out of the closet I remember the gay bars of Canterbury being full of interesting and exciting people. There were goths, freaks, trannies, lesbians (God forbid!), dirty old men and people best described (in the nicest possible way) as "what the fuck are they?". It was fun.

Now it's 2005. Take your pick of any gay bar or club in London. From Action through to XXL everyone is totally dull. Everyone looks the same whether they are all bears, or all twinks or the sad boring bastards wearing jeans AND a blazer in GAY. Conformity is the key. I haven't seen a pre op transexual in years, nor anyone I would think of as a fabulous freak.

What happened to subversion, or even simply being different to the breeders? We dress like straight people, talk like them and even follow the crowd like them. Whether it's rich tossers wearing jeans AND blazer (it's a pet peeve) to council trash chav scum we copy them!!!

I wander through the blogverse and find the same things happening, gay men who have been normalised. BORING!

So I want to know if anyone else feels like I do? Are we just going to sit back and become like everyone else? Whatever happens... we must stop the evil jeans AND blazer squad before it's too late. Let's do something about it!

Let's get back our immaturity, our insecurity, our tradegies! Being gay ain't just about shagging men!! As Judy Garland (praise be!) once sang...

Be a clown,
Be a clown,
All the world loves a clown
Act the fool, play the calf
And you'll always have the last laugh,
Wear the cap and the bells
And you'll rate with all the great swells,
If you become a doctor, folks'll face you with dread,
If you become a dentist, they'll be glad when you're dead,
You'll get a bigger hand if you can stand on your head.
Be a clown, be a clown, be a clown!