Sometimes I’m jealous of queer communities whose cultural archetypes seem derived from actual behaviors or ideas. To be reductive (as distilling the idea of “culture” requires us to be): Lesbians have U-Hauls, cottage core, and Tori Amos, reflective of emotional openness and matriarchal aspirations. Gay men have Janet Jackson, voguing, and a tendency to walk fast, reflective of a generations-long dialogue with femininity and a tendency to have places to be. These may be massive generalizations, but at least they’re relatively neutral ones. Clichés can be harmful, yes, but they can also help
...more
