Magical earrings, no more counselling

[gement]

I just got my first piece of Pride jewelry. This both satisfies and amuses me.

I went to my last counselor's appointment this morning. I got surprisingly teary at the realization that I won't be seeing her again. Afterwards I wandered out aimlessly with a vague impulse to spend money and, totally against form, went to the mall. My quest ended at Claire's, a cheap girlygirl jewelry store, where I continued on my usually fruitless quest for work-appropriate clip earrings.

Miraculously, they had quite a selection, including a new technology called "spring hoop clips" which work admirably and look exactly like normal earrings. I selected two pair of these, very boring vanilla hoops in case I need them for work.

The cheerful salesperson informed me I got a third pair free. I sighed, knowing that nothing else on the rack really looked like something I'd wear, and looked at them all again. As if by magic, there was a pair that I swear had not been there before, tiny silver hoops with even tinier pride rings strung onto them.

I've always avoided pride jewelry out of a vague sense that I wasn't entitled. It dawned on me when I saw these lovely trinkets that I have lovers of both genders and dress up as a guy for fun. I can fuckin' well wear pride earrings if I want to.

Ironic that I reach this realization, and obtain the symbolic proof, after living on the border of Idaho for 2 years instead of in Seattle where it's everywhere. Or maybe that's why it was so much clearer here.

Comments

[drascus.livejournal.com]

I find it really cute and amusing that you didn't feel "entitled" to wear them before, as if there was some Pride Geshtapo that would come to your house and liberate your earrings from your straight opression. ^_^

Now I have the really bizzare urge to design Pride Geshtapo uniforms. Jackboots with chunky heels. ^_^ Oooh, platform jackboots! Yes, made of sparkly naugahide.

Rainbow sash.... *dissolves into giggles*

Sieg Heil!

[gement.livejournal.com]

Yes! Heeeee. That was the unstated logic leap in the post... the first thought was, "Hey, I'm entitled!" and the second thought was, "Why on earth should I have to have qualifications to wear a piece of cheap jewelry?"

The trouble is, I've met the pride gestapo. They didn't have the uniforms, but there are definitely people who believe you have to earn the right to wear certain symbols. Most of the people I see wearing rainbows in Seattle are, to one degree or another, specifically activist about their Pride.

I've thought about the issue of cultural appropriation enough that I sometimes agree with them; I've seen people dilute very powerful symbols out of a completely unexamined impulse to wear a shiny thing. On the other hand, I'm enough of a spiritual anarchist that I sometimes think they should take a long walk off a short cliff (see stock rant #56, "You don't own God").

[vixyish.livejournal.com]

Jillboots!