It’s a Gay Thing….
I was having a conversation with a colleague, and one of her clients walked in, who is a lesbian mother. We will call her Gail. Gail showed me her project, a children’s book about a kid who grows up with two mommies. We talked about Gail’s project and then I talked about justQme.com. I explained how I pre-screen businesses to evaluate their alignment with the GLBT community, and how we assign a Q-approval to those that pass our evaluation process. I showed her our new Q-pon (coupon) book and said “gay money honey” as I handed her a copy. She replied “Oh, I don’t do gay things…no thank you.”
I thought to myself “What?” And then I said out loud “What?” “You are writing a book on two Lesbian Mommies and you don’t do gay things?” Certainly she was kidding, right? She clarified and said “I don’t go to the gay bars or stuff like that.” I realized that Gail’s interpretation of “gay things” is synonymous with “bar hopping” and it saddened me. And since she does not bar hop, she does not want to support gay or gay-friendly businesses. Apparently she did not know that there were gay-friendly breakfast restaurants to gay-friendly lawn care companies, to gay and gay-friendly attorneys and every type business in between. None of which involves bar hopping!
I had no idea doing “gay things” was this dirty phrase in the community for some, like an inner homophobic fungus growing among us. And this is coming from me, a lesbian who came out at 19.
So now I ask myself, what is a gay thing? And then I pose this question to you “what does doing gay things mean to you?”
To me a “gay thing” is creating and then supporting a sense of community within our own social economic group. To me, shopping at a business that aligns with our social beliefs is doing a “gay thing.” Getting treated equally by a business when I walk in holding hands with my partner is doing a “gay thing.” Making the choice to actively seek out those businesses that do align with the community is, well, doing a “gay thing.”
I have come to realize after talking with Gail that it isn’t that she doesn’t do gay things; she is just ignorant about basic economics and possibly does not know how to be a part of a community if she does not go to the gay bars. Our community can gather there, for fundraisers to regular ‘ole dance party rages. But there is an alternative and sober way to immerse oneself into gay culture, and that is on a basic socio-economic level. As a start, make it a point to frequent gay- owned and gay-friendly businesses.
For example, you go out to a movie to see Harvey Milk. You live in Boulder, so you go the theatre there at the 29th Street Mall. You spend money on popcorn, tickets, soda, and you and your partner laugh and cry and feel great after the movie. Later you open the newspaper to find out that the owner of the Cinemark theatre took the proceeds from the Harvey Milk film and donated it to anti-gay movements. Basically, now, you and your shopping ignorance, just contributed to an anti-gay movement! The money from your pocket, your gay money just went to support a group that hates your lifestyle; you just funded the very thing you are against. It’s your money! Get on board and realize this happens; this is not just a fictitious story. See here: http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_11108122?source=rss; and also here: http://coloradoindependent.com/16391/polis-to-join-anti-proposition-8-protest-at-century-boulder-theater
There are real accounts of this happening every day of the week.
Just like Gail, the people who went to see Harvey Milk at this theatre simply did not understand the concept of money, the basic concept that where you spend your money does indeed affect your life, potentially your livelihood, and politics at the very basic of levels. We can all make a social change in our community by doing this one thing: seek out and shop at gay-owned and gay-aligned businesses. And if you are straight but have GLBT friends and family, please support these businesses too; we need your support and welcome you as a supporter into our community.
This is why justQme.com exists! We have taken gay and lesbian and bi-sexual, and transgendered directories to a whole new level by doing the research and pre-screening the businesses that are advertising to you. When we are done with our research and the business passes, we call it Q-approved!
Q-approved means the businesses are:
1. Pre-screened to assess an alignment with the LGBT community.
2. Doing better business, with personalized customer care.
3. Socially conscious in their approach and practices.
Practicing gay-economics must be integrated into social change. Vote with your wallet! Change is up to you.
Do a gay thing, be a part of something, and be a part of justQme.com by posting your experiences at our Q-approved businesses, by telling us what kinds of Q-pons (coupon deals) you want to see and refer businesses to us that you think are a fit.
Thank you for supporting those that support you!
