“In the course of our work, over the last many years, our critics have often accused us of having no “solutions.” Our response, then and now, is that the critique, one that has often been silenced or made invisible, is a necessary part of the process of finding solutions that erase the economic inequality that surrounds us all. Our work is not intended to be prescriptive—unlike marriage, we do not guarantee eternal happiness of the married kind— but to agitate for a much needed dialogue on these matters.” Yasmin Nair Against Equality

The Supreme Court ruling in the US brought jubilation to many people, including many straight married folks who subsequently went all out to show their support for middle-class, gay, white america. As social media sites took on more and more rainbow hues even the staunchest of previously presumed queer activists bended to popular pressure and rainbowed-up their profiles. Claiming, that was in effect a gimmick dreamt up by the PR team at Facebook was actually them flipping the finger at the establishment. It not so much that activists seem to misunderstand why state recognition of unions is about being middle class, white, cisgendered, health care and according to Against Equality over a 1000 other benefits and privileges that the band of gold can bring it’s the straight married couples that puzzled me. Why did they feel we needed their support?

The one hundred and three pages of the ruling whilst demonizing the other, stereotypically the “single black mother on welfare” did much to highlight how the institution of marriage had changed over the centuries. According to the SC it is no longer a way of securing family fortunes, power and alliances, neither is it an institution where power and subservience are gendered. Marriage has changed. It has, the SC says so. Or has it and that brings me to my question, why is it that so many straight suburban middle-class married couples rainbowed themselves up in support of gay marriage. It’s a strange phenomena because even when their queer friends, the very people they claim to be allies of and supporting through the adding of the pretty hues to their social media profiles tell them they find it offensive they argue with that. Strange indeed that the very person these straight middle-class suburbanites claim to support should be silenced, patronised and sidelined by the people claiming to support them. I needed to understand why this issue was so important to middle class straight married couple and the only answer I can come up with is, vindication. The SC says marriage has changed. The violence and injustice are gone but possibly not the boredom. Mundane, mediocre monogamous possessive, jealous and creativeless unions that populate suburbia across the globe have now been vindicated.  People can now be proud they belong to the institution because everyone wants in and the highest court in the land says they are allowed. The “gays” are in.

In the 70s gay men and lesbians were out against “isms”, wars and were out for social and economic justice. The 80s came and Thatcherism in the UK isolated everyone that could not buy their seat at the table. AIDS decimated the freedoms fought for in the 70s. The 90s saw the pink pound establish itself as politicians went a courting. And now marriage. I wonder if it’s the illusion that people still have of the radical queers on the front lines of social change that rallied them to demonstrate their support. Has this illusion of brightly coloured radical gays wanting in vindicated suburban mediocrity?  Does this mean suburban lives are some how not so boring after all. Suburbanite choices to support the neoliberal colonization of bodies is not such a bad choice. It can’t be, the gays wanted in and they got in…

Over the last couple of days since Jennicet Eva Gutierrez got booed and shouted down by predominately white liberal gay men in the White House I have been asked time and again why I am so angry. I lose my temper easily always have done. Not proud of it and sometimes I wish I would take stock before shouting. Reading reports of the treatment of Ms. Gutierrez made me angry. The SC ruling it its isolation and demonisation of the other made me angry. What infuriated me was the rainbowing of profiles. Please don’t use conservative gay agendas to either vindicate your choices or proclaim that justice and equality are now served. Someone with a bit more patience can explain why the LGBT movement adopted the rainbow flag. someone told me once but I remain firm its to avoid shoes and handbags clashing. As a kid in my homophobic working class family we learnt to remember the order of the colours and I can’t help but see it as euphemism for this “win”… Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain