Hold on to your hats, on 20 March is World Happy Day! But being happy is not a topic for once a year, but for the whole life. For all members of the LGBTQIA+ scene, the theme of Queer Joy is especially important.
However, we celebrate ourselves and our attitude to life only once a year – in June. But there is so much more to it than having a huge party once a year. Queer issues are more prominent today than ever before, but we want more, more and more!
To be gay is not a marketing gag, but a way of life!
Gone are the rainbow decorations that decorated the country in June. For the average citizen, that’s it, acceptance has been sufficiently celebrated. Is that true? Not at all, because even today, queer people still suffer from hostility and problems in everyday life.
We are not a “publicity stunt” that big corporations use to make the “rainbow turnover” of their year once a year. We are not an event like the World Cup in football– rainbow gumdrops as an event are therefore not a good idea!
Furthermore, we need more queer joy and courage to continue to stand up for gender diversity and sexual equality. Being gay (or lesbian, pan, bi, trans etc.) is nothing to be ashamed of, but a reason for joy. And this is true not only during Pride Month, but throughout the year!
Queer Joy? What is that anyway, and how do I live it?
In June, we take centre stage. The Christopher Street Day is only the highlight of a spectacle in which queer people celebrate themselves. Meanwhile, it is no longer a small fringe event, but a party that straight people also join. But what looks like a new edition of the Love Parade in colour has a much deeper origin. The Pride Month also serves to draw attention to the still unfortunate situation in the queer scene. It’s about showing anger, making it visible, and standing up for ourselves.
Queer Joy is not just about this month, but about a lifestyle that goes on throughout the year. We are happy when queer people can live their love openly. We are happy when we meet like-minded people. It means happiness and joy when we are allowed to live and love the way we want to. Being queer means belonging to a community out of love, independent of the classic heteronormative values of society.
Represented by Queer Joy – there is need for improvement
The “gay” in the series is still a “novelty”. It catches people’s attention, and this is where the mistake lies. Queer people belong to society just as much as heterosexual people. The goal is only achieved when the gay person is no longer noticeable because he has become normal.
There is still far too little representation of the theme queer, especially when it comes to series or films from the USA or Germany. The Spaniards do it quite differently, as the Netflix series Elite has proven with its 6th season.
Gay love is completely normal there. The focus is on all the dramas surrounding love, and the topic of hostility towards homosexuals is also controversial. And the life and love of trans people is not neglected either. So are the Spanish more modern than us? Maybe, at least when it comes to diversity in series.
We need much more attention, and not because we want to take a special role. Queer Joy is about showing people the beauty of our lives. We love and live nothing differently, we suffer, fall in love, fight and are jealous. Being queer does not mean suddenly leading a completely different life. We just love other people and don’t orient ourselves to heteronormativity!
Queer Joy has not yet arrived, although the joy is there for everyone!
Our queer joy is more than just self-acceptance. It is a daily struggle for recognition and understanding of our sexuality! Even though globally many countries have become more gay-friendly, there is still exclusion, discrimination and violence. But there is also hope, and we want to spread it.
Queer Joy is not only reserved for gays, lesbians and transgender people, but for all people who can and want to identify with us and our lives. Accepting sexuality also means not segregating ourselves. Instead, it is about no longer preaching heterosexuality as “the sole norm” but recognising any form of legal sexuality.
And that is irrespective of the month, because it is not only in June that we are proud of who we are! Despite all the setbacks we suffer, the joy is not extinguished and will continue to burn. It glows when a queer band reaches number one in the charts. It becomes tangible when the gay love story becomes a trendy film, and it is there when we meet a fairy tale who lives and loves her love.
LGBTQIA+ is a part of our modern society, and we all have the chance to contribute to it. We belong in a leadership position! We have the right to live a life free of violence! Furthermore, we are allowed to dress, make up and style ourselves as we like. We have the right to be safe! Get these messages across, because the sooner they arrive and become the norm, the more intensively Queer Joy can be lived.
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