Regarding the issue of the Pink Dot counterprotest and the "why let a colour define you?" thing...
*Pink Dot is an annual event to celebrate "freedom to love".
This is not about a colour defining you. This is about a show of solidarity for people who have traditionally been marginalised and discriminated against. Sure, we could wear a mix of colour to Pink Dot, but that takes away the solidarity. Let me explain.
The colour pink is to unite the attendees under a common idea - "freedom to love". Everyone is supporting that one idea. It doesn't matter if you hate the colour pink, if you're Asian or European, if you are an orphan, if you're failing out of school - the colour pink and the idea of "freedom to love" makes you the same as any other attendee at the event.
I think it's a pretty cool thing. It's a special feeling you get when you look at someone and know for certain that they agree with you on this one thing. It must be a thousand times better for any LGBTQIA person to look at the mass of pink and think, "They all support me and my choices. All these people, they're fine with me being who I am".
(I don't mean to speak for the LGBTQIA, just as an ally who thinks people are being very stupid over this.)
And this is especially important when you think about what the LGBTQIA go through on a daily basis: slurs, bullying, denial and anger from their parents and loved ones. It is so important that we show them that there are people who support them. It isn't for no reason that the suicide rate for LGBTQIA teens are many times higher than heterosexual teens.
(This is not to erase straight teens' suffering, but rather to highlight the LGBTQIA's suffering.)
When you think about this rationally - it's such an easy thing to put on a pink shirt, but it provides so much confidence for those who lack it.
Now let's talk about the counterprotest. The idea is to wear white to support the sanctity of marriage - and we must remember that the sanctity of marriage is a religious idea.
Disregarding the blatant stupidity of this counterprotest, namely:
1. Pink Dot is to support people who are literally offing themselves because society can't pull its head out of its arse, and you want to take this little thing away? You really have to promote your religious arsehole agenda on this particular day??
2. The sanctity of marriage is a religious idea. How many people are even religious, and who the fuck are you to impose your religion on others by shoving it in their faces?
3. The counterprotest is cruel. Support for the LGBTQIA does not constitute an attack against your religion. But your religious display constitutes an attack on their identity.
4. It's just irrelevant. How is it relevant????????
I am of the opinion that I should gently try to prevent my friends and family from wearing white on that day. It's just a change of clothes, and it prevents those idiots from gaining unintended support. Wearing white, even though you have no intention to support the counterprotest, tells people a number of things.
1. The counterprotest will claim you as one of their own. At least mentally. They look at you and think: "Ah, another supporter. I must be right." Even though you did nothing but wear a white shirt. Humans seek self-confirmation and please just don't encourage them any more. Also, do you really want to be thought of as homophobic? No? Then just change a shirt.
2. The Pink Dot attendees will also put you in the "counterprotesters" category. The LGBTQIA, especially, will be thinking: "There are so many counterprotesters. I must be wrong." Do you really want to add to their distress? Even if you don't actively support the LGBTQIA, do you want to be a dick and take away the one major event that is exclusively in support of them, in a conservative society where gay sex is illegal even if consensual? Also, do you want to be thought of as homophobic? No? Change your fucking shirt.
This is not about letting a colour define you, and this holds for both white and pink. On that day, either colour is a show of solidarity for one group or another, and you really don't want to be the ignorant douchebag wearing a colour you don't support and saying "don't let a colour define you!!" just to make a fucking point.
(A friend literally said she thought the counterprotest was stupid but it was okay to wear white because "don't let a colour define you". That is actually kind of the point of Pink Dot, which associates "freedom to love" with the colour pink. And no one is letting a fucking colour define them. And is it that hard to not wear white on ONE FREAKING DAY really. I got a bit angry and we sort of agreed to disagree or at least not talk about it. She isn't going to be at the event anyway so for all practical purposes it's not very important to make that distinction to her right now.)
Because if you do that, you're saying the negligible concept of "not letting colour define you" (and does that even apply anywhere?) is MORE IMPORTANT than the happiness of the LGBTQIA. It's ERASURE in the worst way, at the event that is FOR THEM. That happens only ONCE A YEAR.
Do you really have to do that on that one particular day in 365 days a years? Take your bullshit elsewhere.
Wear pink, not white. It's important.
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