The prince kisses the princess awake, young girls are asked if they “like any boys?” and the legalization of marriage between a man and woman has always existed. Despite all automatic straight and cisgender representation, which has been consistently supported, I still hear, “I’m fine with the LGBTQIA+, but they don’t have to shove it in my face.” This statement belittles the existence of people as if their existence is a bother. LGBTQIA+ isn’t being ‘shoved in anyone's face’—they are humans existing as who they are, and people notice it more because they were forced to hide for so long. LGBTQIA+ representation is important and deserves to be celebrated.
Being gay or queer isn’t an “agenda” to make the close-minded uncomfortable. Representation is simply an important part of the world we live in. The 2023 “Barbie” movie had a diverse cast, meaning that multiple types of individuals are being seen, yet people viewed this as bad. The film had a transgender actress, Hari Nef, play Dr. Barbie. It was not mentioned that she was trans in the film. Yet, people still acted like it was too much. This shows how people see it as being in their face when it is genuinely just people existing within their eye line.
LGBTQIA+ individuals have been forced to stand out because of always being forced away. There is an automatic assumption that a person is straight and/or cisgender when they are born. There isn’t a worry with straight and cis individuals that people won’t look at them the same or love them differently based on their identity or sexuality. Gay couples couldn’t even have the same intimate relationships legally as heterosexual couples until 2003 in the court case Lawrence v. Texas. Gay marriage wasn’t legal in every state until 2015 in the case of Obergefell v. Hodges, so this means marriage between people of the same sex has been legal in every state for less than 10 years. This shows that maybe it should be in people’s faces.
Celebrations like Pride Month and days recognizing LGBTQIA+ individuals are well deserved and they are celebrations of love, but also perseverance. In 1973 an arsonist set a queer nightclub in New Orleans, the UpStairs Lounge, on fire, and 32 people were killed. The Otherside Lounge, a lesbian bar in Atlanta, Georgia, was bombed in 1997. Five people were injured in the attack. These are only a couple of examples of the brutal attacks on LGBTQIA+ people. So, days like Transgender Day of Visibility and a few pops of rainbow for 30 days are not the events people should be bothered by.
Overall, who someone loves or identifies as is no one else's business or problem. Nothing is being shoved in anyone's face and there isn’t any “woke agenda.” It is simply leveling the playing field of representation. LGBTQIA+ people have always existed; they just had to stay hidden and when they finally came out of hiding, people got mad. So, next time someone is upset by a same-sex couple’s PDA, someone else’s pronouns, or a transgender actress on the screen, think about who is actually the one forcing their opinions on others.
Kyra Dapore is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk more about it? Let Kyra know by emailing her at kd364521@ohio.edu.
