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by cutter slagle


WAKE THE FUCK UP, GAYS!


I’m probably going to get a lot of flack for this column.


BEING A PROUD GAY MAN HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HOW MANY INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS YOU HAVE,


WHO YOU CAN IMPRESS WITH YOUR RECENT


VACATION OR NEW CLOTHES OR HOW MANY MATCHES YOU COLLECT ON TINDER.”


That’s the beauty of being me however—I don’t give a fuck. Quite frankly, it’s time for someone to open up their piehole


and speak the cold, hard truth. Not to mention, I can’t be the only one in Southern California feeling this particular way. Yet another Pride season has arrived. Fantastic! As if the


younger generation needed an additional reason to bar hop and bed hop. Don’t misconstrue my words, it’s great to be proud of who you are and celebrate equality, but I can’t help but wonder…Is it necessary for that sense of pride to be accompanied with a side of drugs, drinks and (random) dudes? Does writing this make me a hypocrite? Probably. After all,


I’ve definitely participated in my fair share of Pride outings. Perhaps my recent breakup has caused my tone to turn harsh and cynical. Regardless, I’m exhausted with the gay com- munity and its antics. Who is with me? While there are definitely times when gay men should shut


the fuck up, there are also times when we shouldn’t shut the fuck up. Like right now. More so, we should also ask questions, questions such as: “When did being gay become synonymous with being a party-boy?” Again, I can’t preface this enough—I’m not slut-shaming,


alcohol-shaming, drug-shaming—no shaming of the sort going on here. I do honestly believe that we’re all so privileged to live in a world where we can (for the most part) make our own rules. This is something I’ve said many, many times, it’s my mantra, if you will. Yet, unfortunately, there seems to be an incertitude in the gay community between what it means to live your best life and, no pun intended, blow your life away. Though there are many culprits, I firmly trust that everyone is responsible for their own actions. So, while bars with heavy


pours exist, hookup apps are just a download away and drugs can literally fall into laps, we have the power to decide what we put into our bodies and how we choose to present ourselves. Seriously, is this why Harvey Milk dedicated his life to busting


down closet doors and eliminating prejudice? So gay men could lie, cheat, overindulge in boys and booze, forget what it means to be honest, not have an identity and ultimately become caricatures of themselves? Being a proud gay man has nothing to do with how many


Instagram followers you have, who you can impress with your recent vacation or new clothes or how many matches you collect on Tinder. Oops! I guess art does imitate life, or more appropriately, my personal art imitates my own life and bad experiences. Anyhow, what happens when you suddenly wake up and


you’re 50-years-old and the party is over? The alcohol no longer tastes good, the drugs are too damaging and the well-stocked supply of Kyles, Michaels, Stevens and Lees you once had has dried up? Will you be proud of how you’ve chosen to live your life? I’m disappointed in how superficial this community can


be, but most importantly, I’m disappointed in myself. I’ve knowingly played the game. And though the game can be fun for a while, even thrilling and satisfying, eventually it becomes insatiable. Besides, what do all games have in common? An ending . . . Not to mention, a loser. In fact, does this kind of game even have a winner? And whether you hate the player, hate the game or hate both (rightfully so), there’s only one person to blame for willingly participating: yourself. This Pride season, let’s do something worth being proud of.


Or at the very least, let’s do something that will allow us to look in the mirror the next day without too much disdain.


42


RAGE monthly | JUNE 2018


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