Pride Month tends to be a time when I see some of the most relatable gay art being shared online. Last year, for example, I wrote about “Hue the Pride Turtle” and how it’s important to respect the fact that not everyone is ready to come out yet. This year, the art that hit me the hardest (so far) comes from Gay Breakfast and my default setting of “tired.” I’ve written about the art studio before and how they fed into my need for cute, enamel pins. Now they’re back with a piece of art that perfectly captures the way I’ve felt for… well, a while now.
The June 1st wave of rainbows is accurate
Happy *quiet, chill* Pride. pic.twitter.com/Svk9MRQjt6
— Gay Breakfast @ Pride Zodiac Prep (@GayBreakfast) June 1, 2022
The comic starts with our tired, cuddly friend being smacked in the face with rainbows as soon as the phone clock strikes June 1st. This is something we’re all familiar with at this point – though if we’re being honest, the rainbow buzz begins before June 1st.
Every year I kinda waffle with my feelings about the whole thing. I truly do appreciate the conversations that call out performative support and a need to care beyond June. I also, as I said earlier, appreciate the wonderful content from queer creatives that fills my timeline. At the same time, the temporary rainbow icons and “we’re here for you” messages from spaces (especially ones that have inserted their entire foot in their mouth toward the queer community) can be exhausting. In a time where there is so much ugliness toward, for example, the trans community (both on a government level and so-called comedy), it’s a lot to deal with the sudden rainbow blast when you know these spaces have treated the community so horribly.
I truly just want rest this year
Even if we were having a sort of “okay” year in regard to queer issues (has such a year ever existed?), I’m honestly just kinda… tired in general, and have been for a while. Everything feels like a lot because, well, it is. I absolutely do want to do something to try and change things for the better, but I’m also exhausted, as a lot of these issues feel like they’ve been playing on repeat. That’s not just the queer issues, that’s racial issues, gun control discussions, the pandemic, just… take your pick, really, there’s a lot that affects me and I’m tired.
That’s why I love Gay Breakfast ending their comic with “it’s ok if you are tired.” It’s fine if you just want to put your phone on silent and rest. It’s easy to feel like a “bad gay” if you don’t participate in the festivities that come with the month, but with everything going on, your participation can very much be “snuggling under a blanket” and leaving it at that.
Everything is a lot all the time. Activism is exhausting year-round when we’re attacked and politicized.
— Gay Breakfast @ Pride Zodiac Prep (@GayBreakfast) June 2, 2022
Sometimes rest is radical. 💙
Happy quiet, chill Pride.
(Featured image: Gay Breakfast)
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