The Intersection of Politics and Gaining
This is in part a rebuke to my past self who complained that that politics don’t belong on kink-focused social media. Some folks get a lot of mileage out of declaring this or that isn’t political and, even beyond that, shouldn’t be political. Video games, race, gender, sexuality—you name it and there’s someone out there that thinks the issue is personal, not collective.
It’s easy to dismiss these questions as bigoted (understandably so), but they also betray a deep allegiance to something key to the question “What is political?” That something is hierarchy.
Unfortunately, many humans love systems place some in prominence and some in obscurity. And beyond this, some believe that hierarchies are not only inevitable, but the best we can do. An example of a deeply ingrained hierarchy is how many societies treat gender. Only through the lens of a patriarchal system can one identify something like gay male sex as anything but masculine. It’s literally two men, how can it not be a hyper-male thing? Because in our society, masculinity is partially defined along a power dynamic between men and women. And anything that ignores that power dynamic is a threat.
Literally the entire existence of gainer social media is a direct affront to multiple hierarchies. I’d argue that makes our entire existence political. We’re quite gay, which runs contrary to gendered and religious hegemony. We’re “promoting obesity,” which horrifies those who see a hierarchy of body types as necessary for keeping society healthy (the fats won’t change unless we shame them, you see).
Gay marriage has been legal in the USA since 2015. Prior to that date, who has had the most influence in legislating sexuality? Christians, especially white Protestants. When society and the laws that govern society liberalize, this powerful group declares itself under attack. By passing protections of the groups they have marginalized, it signals to them that they are in threat of no longer being able to call the shots. Which, in fact, they are. Many of us want the hierarchy of straight over gay to vanish. All of us should be given equal due, and that’s impossible alongside the persistence of the belief that heterosexuality is the ideal.
Even other gays will vilify us for glorifying obesity. Some folks set up a curious image of society set up to justify a deep discomfort with fatness: if we allow fat people not to feel bad about themselves, others will stop dreading obesity, and that dread is what keeps people thin. (I’d argue capitalism causes far more obesity than body positivity, but that’s another subject for another time.) If we break down the system that places thin and muscular people at the top, not only do they perceive a horrifying influx of chubs, but a loss of their own slice of the power pie as someone who isn’t “like them”—like the fat people.
Promoting political silence in gainer social media supports the propagation of such hierarchy. Until we all realize we’re in this together to end oppressive ways of doing things, we’re going to remain stalled out. But if that’s true, you may ask, why do some gays (like the old me) whinge about politics entering kink spaces? Well, some of us have the privilege to ignore said hierarchy because we sufficiently benefit from it.
Clearly, as a white homosexual myself, I’m being a bit cheeky. So let’s clear things up. When people talk about white or straight privilege, they use a lot of linguistic shortcuts that risk leaving those not in the know behind. Granted, those not in the know owe it themselves to learn more about the issue, but hey, I like writing.
When I talk about white gays being privileged, I’m not talking about something inherent to the absurd concept of the “white race.” I don’t buy into the lie that there’s anything remotely scientific about racial differences. The entire concept of race was socially constructed long ago to benefit the most powerful people in society. The powerful group that did the most significant of said leveraging happened to be of the category we decided was “white.” We can observe in history a legacy of using a weirdly abstract measurement, skin color, as a proxy for all sorts of unrelated issues like beauty, intelligence, and criminality.
But what does this have to do with gaining? The fewer features you possess that cause others to ascribe unfavorable traits to you, the less politicized your identity feels. It makes life easier when people assume the best about you. And all ye gays should know: there are people who assume all sorts of unfair things about you just by learning of your sexual orientation, whether they mean ill or well. And more special still, some people rally around the idea that you’re a symptom of the decay of Western Civilization (TM). Isn’t that neat?
If you perceive yourself to be in a position where the current political system is serving you fine, and you think changing it isn’t a big deal, fine (not really, but for the sake of argument, fine). Good for you for having a nice life. But consider why others might feel otherwise. They don’t owe you their silence in any space, let alone one centered around a hotly politicized topic like sexuality.
To me, politics is much more than the stereotype of the slimy politician. It’s the ability to promote freedom, to reason, to understand the impact of socioeconomic trends, and to make positive changes in people’s lives. Or at least, it can be that.
The way you express yourself in the context of gender and sexuality are probably at odds with establishment rules in one way or another. And joining me and others on a platform that honors those expressions is, in some ways, a political statement. I won’t be put in a jock-shaped box, condemned to wear baseball caps and stretchy polo shirts for all eternity. Indeed, most of us won’t.
Be yourself, and if you don't want to talk about politics, then don't. But don’t be shocked when a space devoted to gay shit intersects with politics shit.
- “How can gay marriage be about equal rights when gay marriage isn’t the same as what my religion defines as marriage?”
- “Why should there be laws that mention race?”
- “Why are you shoving feminism down my throat by shrinking the breasts of this iconic video game character?”
It’s easy to dismiss these questions as bigoted (understandably so), but they also betray a deep allegiance to something key to the question “What is political?” That something is hierarchy.
Unfortunately, many humans love systems place some in prominence and some in obscurity. And beyond this, some believe that hierarchies are not only inevitable, but the best we can do. An example of a deeply ingrained hierarchy is how many societies treat gender. Only through the lens of a patriarchal system can one identify something like gay male sex as anything but masculine. It’s literally two men, how can it not be a hyper-male thing? Because in our society, masculinity is partially defined along a power dynamic between men and women. And anything that ignores that power dynamic is a threat.
Literally the entire existence of gainer social media is a direct affront to multiple hierarchies. I’d argue that makes our entire existence political. We’re quite gay, which runs contrary to gendered and religious hegemony. We’re “promoting obesity,” which horrifies those who see a hierarchy of body types as necessary for keeping society healthy (the fats won’t change unless we shame them, you see).
Gay marriage has been legal in the USA since 2015. Prior to that date, who has had the most influence in legislating sexuality? Christians, especially white Protestants. When society and the laws that govern society liberalize, this powerful group declares itself under attack. By passing protections of the groups they have marginalized, it signals to them that they are in threat of no longer being able to call the shots. Which, in fact, they are. Many of us want the hierarchy of straight over gay to vanish. All of us should be given equal due, and that’s impossible alongside the persistence of the belief that heterosexuality is the ideal.
Even other gays will vilify us for glorifying obesity. Some folks set up a curious image of society set up to justify a deep discomfort with fatness: if we allow fat people not to feel bad about themselves, others will stop dreading obesity, and that dread is what keeps people thin. (I’d argue capitalism causes far more obesity than body positivity, but that’s another subject for another time.) If we break down the system that places thin and muscular people at the top, not only do they perceive a horrifying influx of chubs, but a loss of their own slice of the power pie as someone who isn’t “like them”—like the fat people.
Promoting political silence in gainer social media supports the propagation of such hierarchy. Until we all realize we’re in this together to end oppressive ways of doing things, we’re going to remain stalled out. But if that’s true, you may ask, why do some gays (like the old me) whinge about politics entering kink spaces? Well, some of us have the privilege to ignore said hierarchy because we sufficiently benefit from it.
The Curious Mind of the White Homosexual
Clearly, as a white homosexual myself, I’m being a bit cheeky. So let’s clear things up. When people talk about white or straight privilege, they use a lot of linguistic shortcuts that risk leaving those not in the know behind. Granted, those not in the know owe it themselves to learn more about the issue, but hey, I like writing.
When I talk about white gays being privileged, I’m not talking about something inherent to the absurd concept of the “white race.” I don’t buy into the lie that there’s anything remotely scientific about racial differences. The entire concept of race was socially constructed long ago to benefit the most powerful people in society. The powerful group that did the most significant of said leveraging happened to be of the category we decided was “white.” We can observe in history a legacy of using a weirdly abstract measurement, skin color, as a proxy for all sorts of unrelated issues like beauty, intelligence, and criminality.
But what does this have to do with gaining? The fewer features you possess that cause others to ascribe unfavorable traits to you, the less politicized your identity feels. It makes life easier when people assume the best about you. And all ye gays should know: there are people who assume all sorts of unfair things about you just by learning of your sexual orientation, whether they mean ill or well. And more special still, some people rally around the idea that you’re a symptom of the decay of Western Civilization (TM). Isn’t that neat?
If you perceive yourself to be in a position where the current political system is serving you fine, and you think changing it isn’t a big deal, fine (not really, but for the sake of argument, fine). Good for you for having a nice life. But consider why others might feel otherwise. They don’t owe you their silence in any space, let alone one centered around a hotly politicized topic like sexuality.
Politics is Pretty Cool, Actually
To me, politics is much more than the stereotype of the slimy politician. It’s the ability to promote freedom, to reason, to understand the impact of socioeconomic trends, and to make positive changes in people’s lives. Or at least, it can be that.
The way you express yourself in the context of gender and sexuality are probably at odds with establishment rules in one way or another. And joining me and others on a platform that honors those expressions is, in some ways, a political statement. I won’t be put in a jock-shaped box, condemned to wear baseball caps and stretchy polo shirts for all eternity. Indeed, most of us won’t.
Be yourself, and if you don't want to talk about politics, then don't. But don’t be shocked when a space devoted to gay shit intersects with politics shit.
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