G-G-Generations of Queers

Gen X reflections of Boomers in the era of Millenials adulting

‘To be a queer millenial is in some ways a different experience,’ says Meghan McCarron. The idea of queer-centered spaces in the food and beverage world is not a new phenomenon. As special correspondent for Eater, Meghan McCarron wrote in last year that “the queer food world is coming out.” McCarron has been documenting queer food culture and reporting on the history and future of queer food spaces.

yes, the younger than my generation of queers was supposed to have rights and live their lives instead, they are fighting to keep rights won by my generation and the ones before mine – decades before they were born

those of us who had no rights, won them are having to fight all over again

equal treatment under the law and access to the public square and health care and careers as well as housing and marriages.

We can’t talk about LGBT health without remembering Virginia BrooksUrgent issues face queer and trans people everywhere, including LGBT suicide, the continued practice of conversion therapy, HIV burden, an epidemic of violence against trans women of colour and poor mental and physical health compared to straight and cis people. In 1981, a former social worker named Virginia Brooks coined the sexual minority stress theory.

“In 1981, a former social worker named Virginia Brooks coined the sexual minority stress theory. Brooks’ work explained why such health disparities exist. In the process, Brooks revolutionized the way we think about queer and trans people, rejecting cultural notions that being queer or trans is pathological, the result of a traumatic past or something negative in people’s lives.

…

Published in 1981, Brooks’ Minority Stress and Lesbian Women showed how exposure to cultural, social and economic stressors translates into psychological and biophysical stress for LGBT people. Going through experiences like homophobia, employment discrimination and lack of civil rights, to name a few, cumulatively over time translates into poor health.  “

I recommend an interesting article, the jobs that we did when we were marginalized, vs the professions we had access to after rights were gained

Making friendsThere may be some truth to the ‘gay jobs’ stereotypeThere is an unusually high concentration of gay or lesbian workers in certain occupations. For example, both gay men and lesbians and are overrepresented in psychology, law, social work, and university teaching. And there are real occupational patterns behind some popular stereotypes, from the gay flight attendant to the lesbian truck driver.

the phrase Lanyard Lesbian was inspired by this news article

i had been aware of the 1990s 15 mins of chic conferred upon us

when kd lang, then Melissa Etheridge and then Ellen came out. 

but this is lesbians in the mainstream in a new way

the mainstream realized, they need us. 

and we were not all celebs, we were among regular people