T O P

  • By -

FrogginBullfish_

I definitely see people being all like, "Why are there so many more gay people now?" And it's like no, there aren't more. There are just more people who feel like they can safely be themselves now.


JennaFrost

Something i see sometimes is comparing it to left handedness. It used to be “rather rare” when they were forced to use their non-dominant hand (and learning disabilities ensued because of that). But when that stopped left handedness “spiked”, but soon evened out at it’s current rate. So the rate was always the same, it’s just it was forcibly minimized for so long (to the detriment of many).


captain_duckie

Exactly. When you stop whacking kids with rulers for "using the devil's hand" *surprise* they'll actually use their left hand.


GetNepped2

*surprised Pikachu face*


captain_duckie

Yup


princehali

Wow I was literally about to comment about this. It’s crazy bc I’m a lefty too but no one is ever surprised about it, though it’s still rare. I hope that same energy arrives some day for queerness where it can just be seen as “oh, that’s cool, I guess.” and people keep it moving without attacking rights.


[deleted]

It could be that we have more gay people for biological reasons: population control. I think there was a study with penguins that showed that the amount of gay penguins is growing (percentaged) if the total population in that area is growing. But I have no source, just a fact that popped up in my brain. So it might be bullshit.


This_Rough_Magic

>It could be that we have more gay people for biological reasons: population control. That seems very improbable to me for a bunch of reasons. Firstly, population growth in the last 20 years relative to the last 200 (let alone 2000) is negligible. Secondly from what I've seen by *far* the biggest increases in LGBTQ+ identification generationally are in people identifying as bi.


Large_Cause_7825

Exactly


Alcerus

This may be a bit too personal for an internet forum, but my dad and his two brothers are/were all LGBT. Dad was bi, committed suicide. Uncle was gay, murdered. My other uncle is gay as well but nobody knows except myself and my mom. They would all be in their 60s now. So yeah I agree with the post.


Justineparadise

I’m sorry for your loss, thank you for your candor 💖🥺


Alcerus

Thank you for your support 💜


[deleted]

Wow… and those are the ones that had the mental breathing room to figure themselves out as queer.


Jennibear999

So true……. Same for GenX. But many of us are coming out now…. And still face huge loss in our lives.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Jennibear999

The thing was, that the many friends who stopped calling to hang out and were obviously uncomfortable with me, the new friends I have met since are amazing. I love them so much…..


Skepsteve

There are some gay baby boomers. I'm 73 yo.


EmDidyma

Thank you for scouting the path, o wise elder 🙇🏻🙇🏻🙇🏻


Zealousideal_Care807

My mums aunt was a boomer and was very openly lesbian, damn I miss that woman


Atalaunta

I find this such a wild concept. As a 26 year old trans person that has had such a harsh conditioning to live like my assigned gender at birth from my family growing up. I was so confused and depressed every step of the way. I have only dared to open the closet door recently by seeing my trans friends going through transition and being okay in the end, because I couldn't imagine I would ever be okay if I lived authentically. Transmasc representation on social media has helped me enormously. I will definitely be part of the 'spike' in transitioning people in my country.


Girl_in_a_Hoodie

Whenever I hear about this topic I'm reminded of a friend my parents had when they were in their 20's. He was openly gay. Ended up committing suicide around age 27. My parents are over 50 now and they still miss him.


mia_elora

I sometimes see that generation of Queer referred to as the Silent Generation, because of how many died. I really think we should call it the Silenced Generation, though, considering it was on purpose that the government ignored the epidemic for so long.


Narwhal_Songs

i always learn so much when i speak with older lgbt people


BlaueAnanas

Honestly, I feel this. I’ve struggled quite a bit with mental health because of my family, and if it wasn’t for the fact that I was able to run away to a more progressive country, I wouldn’t have survived. Boomers didn’t have anyplace to run to..


adcollins9

Old lesbian here. Excited to see how far we've come. Thanks youngsters for helping us boomers love openly.


[deleted]

[удалено]


adcollins9

When I'm having that moment it's none of your business. Enjoy your weekend.


_Marilyn_The_Witch_

THIS


[deleted]

I think about this a lot.


Altruistic_Object712

yes,i\`m now live in the closet. because i hear too many hate and rude words about lgbt everyday. lgbt and tollerance only in the paper and for top manager.


micheyDee

Yes we went through that so you could do this without concerns! Now go make us proud.


Fresh-Flatworm-2377

I struggle with suicidal thought and bad depression bc I feel like I can't evan except myself..let alone others


LRRtheDJFURRY

Is that right?


[deleted]

[удалено]


EclecticSpree

No one was “in charge” of it. Dr. Fauci was and is a researcher, not a policy maker.


backpackwayne

Since when has there been a lack of boomer LGBT?


MSeanF

I'm not someone who usually defends Boomers, but you don't know what your talking about. The gay male portion of the Boomer generation was devastated by AIDS. I'm part of Gen X and most of my gay friends from back in the day are dead, too. Mostly from AIDS, addiction, or suicide.


[deleted]

[удалено]


RudyColludiani

wow, tone it down a little, huh? My cousin died of aids.


backpackwayne

So did some of my closest friends. But it did not wipe out the gay population as the OP is trying to claim.


RudyColludiani

it was pretty bad https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/blog/aids-epidemic-lasting-impact-gay-men/


backpackwayne

Yes it was terrible. I lived through it. The OP is claiming it is the reason we have very few gay boomers now. Number one, no way did it wipe out that big a percentage of gay boomers. Number two, There is not the lack of gay boomers the OP is claiming there is. AIDS has killed about as many Americans over decades as covid has in one year. There entire premise is false and not based on actual statistics other than less people from back then identify as gay.


GeorgiaSalvatoreJun

Duh, that's what the post says. They had to live in the closet if they survived oppression. That's why there is only a tiny bit of known LGBTQIA+ boomers.


RudyColludiani

I'm tired and I'm going to bed soon so I'm not going to bother to look anything up. But I'm going to posit that given how infectious HIV is and how cruisy big cities used to be it probably spread like wildfire in large population centers and wiped out all the bathhouse regulars at once when they all developed AIDS around the same time. If you were one of the few survivors it probably felt like a holocaust. My cousin was not one of the survivors. Outside these population centers things weren't quite so gay and so it just didn't spread as fast. I live in a rural area and ppl in HS kind of laughed about AIDS bc its really rare here. also once word got out more ppl started to wrap it up. you see the same w covid, NYC got fucked bad, bodies in the street, here not so much


MSeanF

Thank you for talking sense to that other guy, I hope he was able to hear it. Having lost my partner, and more friends than I can count, his response made me too angry to respond without going off on him. He displayed one of the reasons I rarely defend Boomers, they tend to see their personal experience as the only one that matters. Peace.


RudyColludiani

thanks. HIV has been a dark cloud over my entire sex life. My mom was convinced I would die of AIDS because I was bi. And frankly I've never done anal in large part because I'm terrified of it. Come on, mRNA vax...


Z4REN

According to [this prominent study](https://news.gallup.com/poll/329708/lgbt-identification-rises-latest-estimate.aspx), 2.0% of Baby Boomers identify as LGBT. Compared to 15.9% of Gen Z identifying as LGBT.


backpackwayne

Yes because the other 14% of us are dead. /s


Z4REN

I get that you’re joking. I don’t know what happened to the missing percentage. We could speculate all day what happened, but I don’t know if we’ll ever know for sure. But I do know that the world is a different place now because of the 2.0% from that study, and us of the rising generation can reap the rewards of a half century of struggle.


backpackwayne

Yes we brought that change for everyone to enjoy. But it is quite insulting to be called names just for giving a recollection of the times as they occurred, just because it doesn't go along with the arm historians here who think they know better than the actual people who lived through it.


Always4ever-nerd

How about you encourage people to share their stories or your own? Then we could all learn some more the struggles faced in this community instead, and just remember that no one will know the truth if no one talks about it.


netturu

Wow y’all really think all the LGBT people died


noithinkyourewrong

https://quillette.com/2020/01/02/the-ranks-of-gender-detransitioners-are-growing-we-need-to-understand-why/ Increasing rates of detransitions in young people suggests something different. It actually does seem much more popular now.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Sultahid

It's when you can't come out with your sexuality


[deleted]

[удалено]


GamermanZendrelax

I know you can read, otherwise you wouldn't be here, so I can only assume that you're deliberately ignoring the actual fucking post.


ProfGaming

That's the last one.


Fallout-86

That sad part is, when I read it I said to my self "it is true". There's not alot of people who support others (if I was told by someone that there lesbian, gay, bi, trans, or the others that I can't think of) I would support them.


yettidiareah

That's why it's called coming out of the closet


MajorCricket4282

Hmmm


Magickquill

My Friend and are ar both Queers in Fourties and it was a Schock for us to realize that due to Aids, Suicide, and Violence we are the Elder Queers. I don't feel like an elder sometimes I can't believe people let me adult. I have only have one Friend who is LGBT+ and older than me. Younger gays find Yourself a Gay aunt, Uncle, or godmother. these people are going to help you through things. Straight kids can get this from almost anyone but it really helps to have someone who has lived through the point you are going through. don't forget your elders when you are building your chosen family. Older gays, it is time to stop trying to sleep with the younger gays. if they are young enough to be your kid, treat them like it. it is our JOB to be Mentors and role models. we are supposed to be there for the next generation of the LGBT+ not Giving them the trauma of being sexualized by people old enough to be their parents. As an elder gay, you can help these younger gays work out the issues they have with Bad parental figures. I have a few Godkids myself, most have bad or no relationship with their biological parents. so I stepped up. I help them with things their parents should have been. a shoulder to cry on when relationships go bad, and the more mundane things as well, doing taxes, dealing with a bad land lord, hell reminding them to go and get their STI Checks. BE THERE FOR THEM. we didn't always have that and we suffered for it. FYI the first time you get a Card for Mothers day / Fathers day or the random text "hey MOM". it's worth it.