This is the story about all the Pride stories I’m not going to do
DAVID TAFFET | Senior Staff Writer
taffet@dallasvoice.com
During Pride month, publicists work overtime pitching LGBTQ stories about anything and everything because, you know, gay people only exist in June. But while “we’re only real in June” may seem true if you are only looking in the mainstream press, at a paper like Dallas Voice, we write about us all year long.
I just received a Pride story pitch from the Urology Care Foundation, the official foundation of American Urological Association.
No, I’m not making this up.
Seems they’d like to share new gender health resources, including links to five new fact sheets. Because when we’re marching in a Pride parade or celebrating Pride at the Arboretum or the Arts District or in Arlington, nothing says Pride like a healthy prostate.
Urological health is important. The fact sheets are valuable, containing information especially useful to the transgender community. But can we discuss it in July?
On a related topic, I was offered an interview with a specialist in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Mayo Clinic because nothing says Pride like obstetrics and gynecology.
One possible topic does sound interesting: How taking testosterone during pregnancy can impact a baby’s growth and development. However, I think I’ll save the story of gender diverse pregnancy for the family issue later this summer.
Each year in June, I get multiple pitches from mental health groups. Pride is great for our mental health. If you’re just coming out, it’s healthy to see thousands of other people celebrating who we are. If you’ve been out for decades, it’s wonderful to see just how far we’ve come. But I have to wonder: Is mental health only important in June?
But a story on “the importance of community support in fostering positive mental health outcomes for the LGBTQIA+ community,” or how “LGBTQ+ individuals are more than twice as likely as heterosexual men and women to have a mental health disorder in their lifetime” just don’t scream “PRIDE!” to me.
These are important topics to deal with. May is Mental Health Month. Maybe we’ll tackle some of these issues then or any other month during the year.
And in my version of the twice-as-likely scenario, we’ll look at who’s causing those mental health problems for the LGBTQ community, and doesn’t that indicate there’s something wrong with them, not us?
The number of retailers and manufacturers pumping out a line of Pride Crap — I mean Pride wear and other Pride-related paraphernalia — is way down this year.
Last year, Target and Budweiser found themselves in no-win situations with their annual June offerings. Target came out with its usual array of the ugliest Pride t-shirts, caps and other assorted clothing items available anywhere. They received death threats and bomb threats over the two racks of merchandise (because that’s what you do when you don’t like an item a store is selling).
For the safety of its employees and customers, Target removed the items from some stores. At others, like at the City Place store near Oak Lawn, they sold out of Pride merch within days of the story going national. And I think Target did the right thing. Those threatening the violence over a t-shirt are dangerous.
Budweiser committed the unforgivable sin of bottling its most popular beer in a rainbow can. Since real men can’t chug beer out of a can with multiple colors on it, sales plummeted. Thank God the beer boycotters were able to find another brand.
But the boycott of Bud by inexperienced and unorganized boycotters wasn’t very successful in the long run. The replacement beer that moved up in popularity was also owned by Bud.
But this year, despite their devotion to the LGBTQ community — at least in June every year — you won’t find an array of Pride Crap in Target stores and you won’t find beer bottled in rainbow cans.
Here’s my suggestion. Need Pride wear? Shop in the gayborhood or in stores that include the LGBTQ community in their marketing plans all year. And your beer?
Who advertises in the community and sponsors events year round?
Happy Pride.