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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsYou’ve Seen It On Facebook, But Does This Gay Pride Meme Deserve All The Outrage?
Photographer Ed Freeman created the gay flag image to the right more than 10 years ago for the cover of Frontiers magazine. Since then, it has been used across countless social media posts for its highly recognizable features four men work to raise a rainbow flag, instantly evoking Joe Rosenthals Pulitzer Prize-winning 1945 photo at Iwo Jima (left).
Most recently, Freemans image resurfaced after last weeks Supreme Court victory. Freeman himself posted the picture to his Facebook account with the following message:
When I took this picture almost ten years ago, it never, never occurred to me that it would someday come to symbolize the victory we are celebrating today. Congratulations to all of us! Love to you all.
But many were upset at the implied comparison between the struggle for gay rights and the sacrifice on the battle field.
Im all for gay rights and equal for all but DO NOT DISRESPECT THOSE WHO SERVED, SACRIFICED, AND DIED FOR YOUR COUNTRY AND YOUR RIGHTS AND FREEDOM, wrote one commenter in response to Freemans post. Its this shit that will drive ppl to hate on you. You WANT RESPECT THEN GIVE IT TO THOSE WHO DESERVE AND EARNED IT.
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more
http://www.queerty.com/youve-seen-it-on-facebook-but-does-this-gay-pride-meme-deserve-all-the-outrage-20150703?
tymorial
(3,433 posts)I'm not a fan. I don't see it as disrespectful but I don't see it as appropriate at the same time if that makes any sense. The second guy from the left is cute though.
tazkcmo
(7,306 posts)I'm not offended.
Humanist_Activist
(7,670 posts)I don't get the outrage.
Orrex
(63,291 posts)Aristus
(66,530 posts)The world-famous photo by Joe Rosenthal was snapped quickly, without preparation, and just one of a number of shots Rosenthal took as quickly as he could to record the moment. After the flag was up, he then took a staged, posed photo of the Marines around the flag they had just raised. No one disputes that that particular pic was posed. But the flag raising itself was unrehearsed.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raising_the_Flag_on_Iwo_Jima
I have to roll my eyes at the ALL-CAPS OUTRAGE of veterans and those claiming to be veterans. I'm a veteran of the Gulf War, and I have no problem with the gay-pride image. It's just an image. But then, I've been a friend of LGBT's for decades now. I'm happy we've won a significant victory for civil rights.
Erich Bloodaxe BSN
(14,733 posts)Given the jeans, it reminds me of those worker propaganda art pieces.
CBGLuthier
(12,723 posts)Only jingoist fascist homophobes would object. Besides everyone knows the original was staged.
Igel
(35,390 posts)The USPS's revised the photograph for a stamp. The original photo wasn't inclusive enough and had to be edited to be inclusive. This was considered an offensive rewrite of history. It could be argued that only racists would argue against changing the race of some of the flag raisers, but the claim that revising history was a bad thing stung. What to do?
The NY Times editorial folk said it was a retake. That the flag was raised, the photographer missed it, and so he had them redo it. That made it into a photo-op, really, but had two consequences. It had net effect of taking what had become a patriotic symbol (or a "jingoistic fascist symbol" and making it into a symbol of cynical scorn. And they said that since it was staged, anyway, there was no revising of actual history.
That quickly just became "the photograph was staged," with all the false outrage that accompanies such things when iconoclasts long to see an icon clast down.
The photographer denied this, but, of course, that was iron-clad evidence for iconoclasts that it was staged--only somebody lying would deny such an obvious truth.
At the same time, there's a nice bit of film footage taken by a guy last name Genaust of this flag's being raised. Once. And the photograph matches the film footage perfectly.
There immediately followed the claim that the film was of the re-do. In other words, the film is also staged. After all, if the photograph was staged, a fake, how could the film be anything else?
The most reasonable explanation is that the NYT editors so wanted to get it wrong that they overcame various hurdles to do so. Early in the day a small flag was planted at the top of the hill, according to those who were there (unlike NYT editors). Easy enough thing to do, one guy plants it. It wasn't large enough to be seen from far away or from ships, and that was a real desideratum. Later in the day, soldiers were told to take a larger flag to the hill and raise it. That they did. It wasn't raised as a photo-op. That flag wasn't raised, taken down, and raised again. It replaced a smaller one.
alarimer
(16,245 posts)I don't think that's incorrect.
What else would you call it? The famous photo was NOT of the first flag-raising, but one that was specifically done later in the day. They may of had their reasons, but it was definitely not a spontaneous, organic thing.
And they paraded around those poor guys who didn't actually raise the flag on Iwo Jima (though they were there and they did suffer for it) in order to sell war bonds. And they all, even his "brothers" treated Ira Hayes like shit.
-none
(1,884 posts)I can see the similarities between the two. Maybe that is why I can't work up any outrage over the raising the Gay flag in the picture. There's nothing wrong with it.
elehhhhna
(32,076 posts)It is not, though. I'm certain it is not.
Rex
(65,616 posts)How is it disrespect? It is an honor imo. Gay men and women have died by the thousands for their right to be treated as equals, a lot have died from AIDS (which was a topic no party wanted to touch in the 80s).
I am PROUD to have served in the Army and am PROUD to see gay men raising their flag in victory over those that would oppress them into second class citizen status!
I love the smell of freedom in the morning!
sibelian
(7,804 posts)Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)peacebird
(14,195 posts)Thank you!
pinboy3niner
(53,339 posts)Can you spot the gay soldier?
Rex
(65,616 posts)Of course the Wackadoodles in the GOP think this is the end of the world...because you know, gays. Bible. Freedumb. Stupid people getting our military professionals killed and then using them for cheap political points.
Thank you.
tavernier
(12,428 posts)Bad taste.
To me, it actually looks like a photo shopped by wing nuts to make fun of gays.
Rather than that, post photos of the Multiflag flying beside the graves of heroic youngsters who were tortured and killed for who they were born to be.
Response to DonViejo (Original post)
NCTraveler This message was self-deleted by its author.
agree. And in good taste too.
CurtEastPoint
(18,685 posts)etherealtruth
(22,165 posts)DO NOT DISRESPECT THOSE WHO SERVED, SACRIFICED, AND DIED FOR YOUR COUNTRY AND RIGHTS AND FREEDOM
How many died for rights and freedom (in the struggle for basic / equal rights in the the GLBT struggle)?: too many.
DemocraticWing
(1,290 posts)"Don't have photos that look similar to the military you weren't allowed to join"
"Sit down and shut up when you're in the White House with the President that imprisons trans people"
"Earn the respect of those who support you, or we'll stop being on your side."
It makes me sick, and it's a symptom of a problem that privileged liberals have with marginalized communities. At least the conservatives have open dislike, this....this is just subtle, passive-aggressive backstabbing.
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)I am tired of dems telling other marginalized dems how to behave.
sibelian
(7,804 posts)with TEH GAY OMFG! ARG THE HORROR, etc. Which is, uh, stupid.
Gay people serve in the army. In fact, they have been serving in the army for decades without being allowed to say that they are.
Sigh.
Rex
(65,616 posts)I HATE it when people just assume the entire planet is hetro. It makes Earth suck! Our earth mother loves diversity and made us to reflect that we are all unique in some way. People that feel more comfortable being around 'carbon copies' of themselves, scare me.
pnwmom
(109,025 posts)is all male.
Where are the lesbians in the picture?
Rex
(65,616 posts)So they want people to know they are making a comparison, is my guess.
pnwmom
(109,025 posts)I think they just forgot.
FreeState
(10,588 posts)it was made to sell to gay men at the time, it wasn't meant to make a statement.
pnwmom
(109,025 posts)who have been working every bit as hard for marriage equality.
It's a strange oversight that they didn't.
DonViejo
(60,536 posts)it would have been an awesome pic if women had been included.
peacebird
(14,195 posts)His huge Greek heart was full of love and passion, I seriously seriously doubt he would have been offended by the rainbow flag rendition. Likely he would have seen it as "copying being the sincerest form of flattery"
Solly Mack
(90,802 posts)A bunch of idiots that know absolutely nothing about the military spouting their hate and trying to hide it behind "patriotism". Fuck the whiners.
Cha
(298,074 posts):candle
Katashi_itto
(10,175 posts)fighting a long war to gain equal rights. Not much different from the civil rights movement of the 60s.
Betty Karlson
(7,231 posts)Guess what, fundies? Some of those men who died for your freedom: were GAY.