Queer people simply existing in today’s climate and having to sift through our modern news cycle is tough enough, but have you ever come across a story that just leaves you thinking “Yeah, you could have just kept that one to yourself, sis.” Well, Tal Bachman’s recent op-ed “Why Does Everyone Have To Be Gay All the Time?” is exactly one of those moments that have us thinking “You should have just kept that one in the drafts.”
Do you recognize this man’s name? Us either. It’s clear that he may just be trying to cling to some relevancy by publishing something so harmful. I mean, the Canadian musician is best (and only) known for his 1999 pop-rock hit “She’s So High”, and his career really starts and ends there.
In this op-ed published on, you guessed it, The Bachman Beat, this one-hit wonder has expressed his frustrations with what he sees as an excessive focus on the LGBTQ+ community in society today.
At one point, he writes “As you might have heard, the military is now gay. Hallmark movies are now gay. TV ads are now gay. Novels, elementary school curricula, baseball, popular songs, marriage, Christian denominations, basketball, children’s library readings—all gay.”
He’s not lying, and it’s a beautiful thing. But before we go any further, let’s take a moment to appreciate the irony of a straight white man complaining about the visibility of a marginalized community.
In the post, Bachman claims that he doesn’t have a problem with gay people themselves, but he seems to have a problem with the LGBTQ+ community’s increasing visibility. He even goes so far as to suggest that people who don’t want to exult in the way “radical leftist gays” decree are labeled as haters. Umm, excuse me, Tal, but the only people decreeing how one should exult in their sexuality are the people who have been fighting for basic human rights and acceptance for decades.
Bachman grew up in a small, Christian farming community in Washington where he claims no one cared about someone’s sexuality, writing:
Wanna be gay? Great. I don’t care. No one I know does. I grew up in a small, almost entirely Christian, dairy farming town in Washington forty plus years ago. No one there even cared. Sure, the jokes and teasing between friends were more common than now. But in terms of locals getting genuinely upset someone in the community might be gay? Nah.
However, this anecdotal evidence ignores the experiences of countless LGBTQ+ people who have faced discrimination, harassment, and even violence for simply being who they are. It’s a classic example of the “I don’t see color/sexuality/gender” fallacy that ignores the experiences of those who don’t have the same privileges as straight white men.
Bachman also goes on to suggest that people in America didn’t care what consenting adults did in the privacy of their own homes. Miss Tal, have you heard of sodomy laws? Homosexuality was criminalized in many states until the late 20th century, and even today, there are still people who believe that homosexuality is immoral or wrong, as we are seeing play out in real-time with the rise of anti-LGBTQ legislation making the rounds across many states across the US.
The LGBTQ+ community has had to fight long and hard for acceptance and equality, and while progress has been made, there is still a long, long way to go.
But, there’s more. Bachman also talks about his frustration with athletes being called out for not wearing rainbow-themed Pride jerseys:
If you don’t feel like exulting about how your favorite sports team just ran out for battle wearing an iridescent, rainbow-themed Gay Pride jersey right out of a 1992 Richard Simmons exercise video, these folks now label you a “hater”. And if you’re an actual player who doesn’t want to wear one? It’s the end of the world.
First of all, these athletes are public figures who represent their teams and communities. Refusing to wear a jersey that promotes inclusivity and acceptance sends a message that they don’t support those values. Second of all, being asked to wear a jersey is not the same as being forced to be gay. No one is asking these athletes to change their sexuality. They are simply being asked to support their LGBTQ+ teammates and fans.
But perhaps the most ironic thing about this whole situation is that Bachman’s one-hit wonder “She’s So High” is lowkey a gay anthem. Seriously, we have to laugh, and what better place to do so than the glorious world of Gay Twitter™:
At the end of the day, this of course is fun to laugh off and craft some pretty hilarious tweets about, but, we can’t forget, this artist’s frustration with the increasing visibility of the LGBTQ+ community is a very real feeling that, unfortunately, many people have across this country.
It’s important to call these harmful narratives out and to recognize that the fight for LGBTQ+ rights is ongoing. We all have a role to play in promoting inclusivity and acceptance, so, let’s continue to take pride in our community in all the ways that we know how, and continue to be as visible as possible, even when others can’t handle it.
ShaverC
He’s kinda right. I’m a gay person. I don’t think of myself as part of the LGBT++++ cult. I remember when gay people just wanted to be able to work & live peacefully. We got that, and really that’s all anyone should ask for.
imh451
You may have gotten that, but there are so many in this country and this world who haven’t. That’s fortunate for you. Fortunately, you don’t live in Uganda where they just passed legislation putting people like you and me to death for the mere fact that we’re gay. What a short sighted thing to say!
storm45701
Try living and working peacefully in Tennessee and Florida, or other states where rights are being taken away from the gay community. Once Oberfell is overturned, your ability to live and work in peace will be officially gone.
ShaverC
imh451: 100% agree, gay people in Uganda have it way worse than we do.
storm45701: Tennessee is stating that biological sex matters. It does matter. And there is nothing “anti gay” about any legislation Florida has recently passes. You need to read them to understand, and not base an opinion on headlines.
jorgecruz
You think the state pulling a liquor license from a venue that hosts a drag show isn’t anti-gay? Changing the tax status of the states largest employer as a punishment for coming out against anti gay legislation isn’t punitive and harmful? You think banning the use of preferred pronouns by students and teachers isn’t anti-trans? Banning books with gay characters? The latest proposed change to the law bans all discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation at all grades. Sorry our days of shutting up and taking whatever miniscule tolerances the racist, misogynistic homophobes offer are over.
You are either ill-informed, a troll or both.
Garath99
You totally lost me at the ‘cult’ part. What about being gay is cultish? I’m so happy that your life is rose coloured. Apparently you have your head up your ass because gays are persecuted everywhere. When gay kids commit suicide because their evangelical parents disown them, when books mentioning gay people are taken out of libraries because some asshole parent complained….etc etc etc….it means that we’re still a marginalized community. I’m glad I don’t know you because you sound like an asshole.
ShaverC
jorgecruz: The liquor license was pulled after being warned not to host drag shows with children in the audience. They could care less about any drag show for adults. Disney is not the biggest employer in the state of Florida, it’s Publix with around 220,000 employees. Disney would fall around #8 and tie with Royal Caribbean Group with around 77,000 employees. Plus, do you really want corporations dictating government policy? Florida has not state-banned any book, some children’s books have been reviewed to see if it’s appropriate for the age group, and a few were deemed inappropriate. Again they were not banned, just not carried in school libraries for that age group. Also gender & sexuality is taught in high school in Florida, where it’s age appropriate, so it’s not banned for all grades.
Garath99: Gay people are not persecuted at a group level in the US. Picking a few anecdotal examples and trying to say the entire “community” suffers because of that is not a valid argument. Gay people in the US have all the liberties anyone else has. I have never felt marginalized.
Bosch
“??As you might have heard, the military is now gay. Hallmark movies are now gay. TV ads are now gay. Novels, elementary school curricula, baseball, popular songs, marriage, Christian denominations, basketball, children’s library readings—all gay.”
This is an extension of the old, tired, homophobic idea that you can’t be gay-friendly without being gay.
The military is no gayer now than it was in the 50s, people just aren’t required to hide it anymore. What a strange assertion to begin with, too. Why does he have gay soldiers on his mind?
Troyfight
“I grew up in a small, almost entirely Christian, dairy farming town in Washington forty plus years ago. No one there even cared.” …… 100% do not believe this in the 1980s. By this alone, he’s very delusional.
Thad
Mr. Bachman failed to mention hundreds of other things that now include gay representation. It’s everywhere, I tell you.