The Rainbow Ribbon
May. 7th, 2009 11:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
beccastareyesSo, about a week ago, I pinned a rainbow ribbon* to my coat, and tied another to my bag. I also had a white knot pinned to my coat.
* Not quite proper colors -- it should have a purple stripe. It just has red-orange-yellow-green-cyan-blue. But most people don't glance at rainbows in that much detail.
I'm fine walking around campus with it, but I noticed that in nice weather, when out at shops, I tend to self-consciously fold my coat back so the ribbons aren't visible. It's kind of embarrassing -- I mean, hell, if I'm going to be out in the open, I should do it. And I do have a choice -- it's not like racism or sexism or cisgenderism/transphobia**, where it's harder to pass, and it's not like I'm in an actual relationship***. But I feel like I should, especially since I see Ithaca as generally a safe place. And maybe act as a reminder that not everyone in the world is straight.
** Whatever you call discrimination based on how someone presents hir gender, or transgender/genderqueer individuals.
*** Someday there will be a emo post about how my social ineptness condemns me to perpetual singlehood. The day is not today.
The only person to comment so far was a clerk in a convenience store/truck stop in rural Virginia who wanted to know what the ribbon was for.
* Not quite proper colors -- it should have a purple stripe. It just has red-orange-yellow-green-cyan-blue. But most people don't glance at rainbows in that much detail.
I'm fine walking around campus with it, but I noticed that in nice weather, when out at shops, I tend to self-consciously fold my coat back so the ribbons aren't visible. It's kind of embarrassing -- I mean, hell, if I'm going to be out in the open, I should do it. And I do have a choice -- it's not like racism or sexism or cisgenderism/transphobia**, where it's harder to pass, and it's not like I'm in an actual relationship***. But I feel like I should, especially since I see Ithaca as generally a safe place. And maybe act as a reminder that not everyone in the world is straight.
** Whatever you call discrimination based on how someone presents hir gender, or transgender/genderqueer individuals.
*** Someday there will be a emo post about how my social ineptness condemns me to perpetual singlehood. The day is not today.
The only person to comment so far was a clerk in a convenience store/truck stop in rural Virginia who wanted to know what the ribbon was for.
