Pride
festivals are set to take place around the world this weekend, including in
major cities such as New York. As such, the perennial debate around the
inclusion of kink (leather and fetish lovers, pups and BDSM fans), has reared
its head again.
YouTube
comic Michael Henry has
made it the subject of his latest video, simply entitled ‘No Kink at Pride.’
In it, Henry and a friend try to persuade a younger pal why kink has a place at Pride.
Henry mentions
having his leather harness oiled in preparation for the festivities, prompting
a disapproving “eww” from Gen Z chum, Julian.
Julian says he
doesn’t think kink should be allowed at Pride: “Just because I’m at a Pride
event doesn’t mean I’m consenting to see your naked, hairy ass flapping out of
your leather pup costume.”
He goes on to
state, “Pride should be for everyone: kids, teens, allies, my nana. Live out
your horny fetish fantasies in private.”
“Kink was at
Pride since the start,” counters another friend, Cal. “Why should we censor
ourselves just because you’re uncomfortable?”
Henry agrees,
saying, “Fifty years ago Pride was a riot against the police. Against having to
live our lives in the shadows … I’m sorry, but Pride wasn’t always rainbows and
butterflies and Citibank butt plugs … policing how we show up and present
ourselves is counterproductive.”
Henry
told Queerty that he’d done some research in advance of making
the sketch and found that it was often younger generations that expressed a
problem with kink at Pride.
“I actually
searched on TikTok NO KINK AT PRIDE and it was all younger people under 25 that
said they had a problem with it,” he said. “And they were very vocal and
adamant about it. And I think it’s because younger people have been taught
about setting boundaries. I know I was never taught about setting boundaries.
So I think it’s great that these younger adults have these boundaries for
themselves and that they feel comfortable expressing them and vocalizing them
on a platform. I respect that.
“But at the
same time just because you have a certain boundary or opinion, that doesn’t
make it fact or a law that everyone needs to agree with. And I think that’s the
disconnect. You can respect someone’s boundaries but also you need to respect
me and my side as well.”
The video has
prompted over 500 comments.
“The pride
parades have definitely changed over the years,” said one commentator. “In the
70s it was about sexual expression; when AIDS hit in the early 80s, the parades
were about activism; in the 90s and beyond it was about proving to the straight
world that we were just like them…wanting marriage equality, kids and a family.
“This message
was much more corporate-friendly and big sponsors came on board, not really to
support us but to advertise to an audience with lots of disposable income. The
last time I saw the pride parade in LA, sadly there were more floats with
religious depictions than men in leather.”
Another said,
“I went to my first Pride at fifteen in 1993. It had nudity and kink. I was
already gay, it just showed me that gay was also amazing. After that, the
bullying, fear over AIDS, and discrimination didn’t feel so bad. I had a new
family that wasn’t ashamed of anything.”
Others said
kink put them off.
“I’ve never
particularly enjoyed Pride, and the kink aspects did make me feel
uncomfortable, however I went with the I don’t have to attend option because I
don’t want to be telling someone else how to live their life,” said one person.
What are your
feelings on kink at Pride?
SOURCE: QUEERTY
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