Heteros with Supportive Hetero Syndrome (SHS) LOVE the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). They receive HRC emails, respond to each request to write legislators, and pass them on to all of their friends with SHS, or even their gay friends. Some of these heteros are even so bold as to become members and "join" the HRC, because they are just that gay friendly. The shiny blue sticker with the bold yellow stripes is neatly placed on their rear bumper, since it shows those that are "in the know" that they support homos (and those silly rainbow ribbons are so pre-prop-eight!).
These heteros also assume that all homos are HRC members, since HRC is the homo organization that everyone is a part of. I mean, what homos or supportive heteros wouldn't be a part of an organization that works for human rights?
When these heteros meet homos that do not support the HRC (goddess forbid!), they are shocked! It just can't be true that the HRC panders to corporate interests, privileges same-sex marriage over more life-threatening issues (such as LGBTQ youth homelessness), and discriminates against transgender people, non-heteronormative families, people of color, the disabled community, the homeless, and the poor homos. These heteros usually assume that the homos divulging this information must have some bad sources. I mean, they are the "Human Rights" Campaign, right? HRC-lovin' heteros usually respond to this new awareness with a gulp, and then silence - they don't want their homo friend(s) to think that they might not be a supportive hetero afterall. Instead, they just act engrossed in the conversation, nodding their heads in agreement.
In the end, these heteros continue to support the HRC, since, afterall, the HRC is the premiere LGBT "human rights" organization, and they help bring rights to all the homos of the land! What more could any SHS hetero want?
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
#5 - Gettin Educated
Heteros love getting educated about homos. In an educational setting, like college, these heteros will take notes feverishly in class, eating up the professor's ever word. If the college course ends up showing a homo related movie, this films then becomes social capital and provides the hetero with something to talk about with their uneducated hetero friends (or becomes a bonus point among their gay friends).
Once educated, heteros with supportive hetero syndrome-subtype: denial-will use this newfound knowledge to justify their positions against rights for homos. An example of this might include, "I took a class and we had gay speakers come in, and therefore I can say that I disagree with gay marriage," or "I saw the movie Hedwig and liked it, and that makes it A-OK that I can call my neighbor a queer."
While educating the heteros about homos does have major benefits, it still remains a symptom of supportive hetero syndrome, and needs to be recognized. Afterall, where would our supportive heteros be if they hadn't been educated about homos in the first place?
Once educated, heteros with supportive hetero syndrome-subtype: denial-will use this newfound knowledge to justify their positions against rights for homos. An example of this might include, "I took a class and we had gay speakers come in, and therefore I can say that I disagree with gay marriage," or "I saw the movie Hedwig and liked it, and that makes it A-OK that I can call my neighbor a queer."
While educating the heteros about homos does have major benefits, it still remains a symptom of supportive hetero syndrome, and needs to be recognized. Afterall, where would our supportive heteros be if they hadn't been educated about homos in the first place?
Thursday, January 15, 2009
#4 - Having Gay Friends
Having gay friends is probably the number one manifestation of supportive hetero syndrome. In fact, if you are a hetero with a gay friend, you most likely are afflicted with SHS.
Heteros with gay friends love to talk about their gay friends, especially with their other gay friends (or potential gay friends). Heteros often do the following with their gay friends: frequenting gay/lesbian bars, attending LGBT films, supporting their gay friends at rallies, and frequent local LGBT coffee shops. Bonus points go to those heteros who have attended their gay friends' wedding (s) or invite their gay friends to their own hetero weddings. Really daring heteros attend local Pridefests with their gay friends, making sure to mention that they are going for the "culture," to "support" their gay friend, or to "visit all the booths."
In their defense, it's pretty unlikely in this day and age for heteros to not have a gay friend. However, this blog is reserved for those special heteros that love to talk about their gay friend and use their gay friends to portray their gay-friendliness to the general population (or at least to the homos).
There is also a special category of heteros who have gay friends. These people suffer from supportive hetero syndrome-subtype: denial. These heteros usually say things like "I have a gay friend/best friend/roomate, and therefore I'm allowed to say that gay marriage is wrong, homosexuality is a sin, and you can't tell me I'm homophobic because I have a gay friend/best friend/roomate." While one's initial reaction might be to argue with this type of hetero, the denial in these heteros is so thick that it is best to nod and smile, and remind them of how supportive they are.
If you are a homo with an acquaintance that suffers from SHS with a denial subtype, most likely they are referring to you when they say they have a gay friend/best friend/roomate. Do your best to remind them that they are merely your acquaintance (and not your best friend), and call them out on their homophobic remarks. If their denial is too thick to see past their egocentric beliefs, make sure you avoid this type of hetero as much as possible so as to cut them off from their gay friend/best friend/roomate.
Heteros with gay friends love to talk about their gay friends, especially with their other gay friends (or potential gay friends). Heteros often do the following with their gay friends: frequenting gay/lesbian bars, attending LGBT films, supporting their gay friends at rallies, and frequent local LGBT coffee shops. Bonus points go to those heteros who have attended their gay friends' wedding (s) or invite their gay friends to their own hetero weddings. Really daring heteros attend local Pridefests with their gay friends, making sure to mention that they are going for the "culture," to "support" their gay friend, or to "visit all the booths."
In their defense, it's pretty unlikely in this day and age for heteros to not have a gay friend. However, this blog is reserved for those special heteros that love to talk about their gay friend and use their gay friends to portray their gay-friendliness to the general population (or at least to the homos).
There is also a special category of heteros who have gay friends. These people suffer from supportive hetero syndrome-subtype: denial. These heteros usually say things like "I have a gay friend/best friend/roomate, and therefore I'm allowed to say that gay marriage is wrong, homosexuality is a sin, and you can't tell me I'm homophobic because I have a gay friend/best friend/roomate." While one's initial reaction might be to argue with this type of hetero, the denial in these heteros is so thick that it is best to nod and smile, and remind them of how supportive they are.
If you are a homo with an acquaintance that suffers from SHS with a denial subtype, most likely they are referring to you when they say they have a gay friend/best friend/roomate. Do your best to remind them that they are merely your acquaintance (and not your best friend), and call them out on their homophobic remarks. If their denial is too thick to see past their egocentric beliefs, make sure you avoid this type of hetero as much as possible so as to cut them off from their gay friend/best friend/roomate.
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