McDonald’s fans have claimed Grimace as a gay in for his birthday - Polygon

Contents:

• THE SURPRISG STORY OF HOW ABBA BEME BELOVED GAY INS
• WHAT IS A GAY IN?
• WHAT MAK A ‘GAY IN’?
• FANS ARE GOG ALL ON CELEBRATG GRIMACE’S BIRTHDAY AND CLARG HIM A GAY IN
• BNETSUBSCRIBESIGN {"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","URL":","MAENTYOFPAGE":","HEADLE":"THE NEWT QUEER IN: FROGS","SCRIPTN":"MONIZED BY ALEX JON, LGBTQ+ MEME MAKERS HAVE EMBRACED AMPHIBIANS AS A MAST","IMAGE":[{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":"}],"DATEPUBLISHED":"2021-05-07T20:40:28+00:00","DATEMODIFIED":"2021-05-07T20:40:28+00:00","ISACCSIBLEFORFREE":TE,"THOR":[{"@TYPE":"PERSON","NAME":"BRIAN FELDMAN","URL":","SCRIPTN":"THE VENTOR OF BLOGGG","INTIFIER":"ER:241258","IMAGE":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","NTENTURL":","THUMBNAILURL":"}}],"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"BNET","URL":","SCRIPTN":"A NEWSLETTER ABOUT THE TER AND PUTERS OR WHATEVER","TERACTNSTATISTIC":{"@TYPE":"INTERACTNCOUNTER","NAME":"SUBSCRIBERS","TERACTNTYPE":","ERINTERACTNCOUNT":1000},"INTIFIER":"PUB:39741"}}SHARE THIS POSTTHE NEWT QUEER IN: COPY LKFACEBOOKEMAILNOTOTHERTHE NEWT QUEER IN: FROGSMONIZED BY ALEX JON, LGBTQ+ MEME MAKERS HAVE EMBRACED AMPHIBIANS AS A MASTBRIAN FELDMANMAY 7, 2021SHAREBY LIZ SOMMERJUDY GARLAND. DIANNA ROSS. CHER. LADY GAGA. TO THIS DAY, THE NCEPT OF A “GAY IN” IS STILL LARGELY REPRENTED BY (OFTEN HETEROSEXUAL) CELEBRY WOMEN WHO EMBODY ELEMENTS OF SEXUALY AND SELFHOOD THAT RONATE WH AT LEAST SOME LGBTQ+ PEOPLE. WHILE THE PHRASE “GAY IN” MAY NNOTE A DIVA WORSHIPPED BY CIS GAY MEN, A WI RANGE OF CELEBRI HAVE BEE OBJECTS OF AFFECTN BY LGBTQ+ PEOPLE.AS THE TER OPENS UP SPACE FOR QUEER PEOPLE TO FAWN OVER, STAN, AND SHAPE THEIR OWN NARRATIV ABOUT THEIR INS, THE PARAMETERS OF WHAT NSTUT ONE ARE EXPANDG. IN ADDN TO THE CLN OF A MORE DIVERSE SET OF PEOPLE, MANY OF WHOM ARE THEMSELV MEMBERS OF THE LGBTQ+ MUNY, THE NNON OF QUEER INOGRAPHY ON THE TER HAS AN EVEN WIR SPE. IT NOW CLUS THE GREEN AND BROWN M&MS, MISS PIGGY, ICED FFEE, THE PLANT SECTN AT LOWE’S, AND OGS.PLENTY OF TIKTOK VIOS LIST “THGS THAT AREN’T GAY/QUEER/LGBTQ+ BUT HAVE GAY/QUEER/LGBTQ+ ENERGY.” THEY’RE TYPILLY PRENTED WHOUT EXPLANATN, JT THE STATEMENT THAT ANIMATE OBJECTS, STRAIGHT CELEBRI, STOR, ANIMALS, MOVIE VILLAS, POLIL IOLOGI, ETC., HAVE QUEER VIB. FROGS ARE A RECURRG EM ON THE LISTS. OVER THE PAST YEAR OR SO, I’VE NOTICED A STEADY AND GROWG STREAM OF QUEER-RELATED OG NTENT ON THE RNERS OF THE TER I HAB. EXAMPL CLU TWEETS ABOUT BISEXUALS LOVG OGS, OG PRI MERCH SOLD ON ETSY, LBIAN OG MEM, AND A BUILD-A-LGBTQ-OG TUMBLR THREAD. AT FIRST, I DIDN’T THK MUCH OF THIS BEE JT MA SENSE TO ME — THE MORN TER IS PERSONALIZED TO EACH ER. AS A QUEER PERSON WHO VAGUELY LOV OGS, I WASN’T PARTICULARLY SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT THERE WERE OTHER QUEER PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO ALSO LOVE OGS. IN EARLY QUARANTE, WHEN I GOT EP TO THE OG-CENTRIC PART OF TIKTOK KNOWN, PREDICTABLY, AS #FROGTOK, HOWEVER, I REALIZED THAT THE NARRATIVE OF OG-LOVG QUEER PEOPLE WAS NOT JT A VAGUE FEELG, BUT AN ACTUAL SORT OF LGBTQ+ TER FANDOM FOR THE AMPHIBIAN. IT’S WORTH NOTG THAT OGS ARE BIG ON THE TER GENERAL. IN ADDN TO PEPE (THE MATT FURIE-CREATED OG -OPTED BY THE ALT-RIGHT WHO IS ABSENT OM MOST OF THE LGBTQ+ OG MEM I’VE ENUNTERED), OGS N BE FOUND WEARG WBOY HATS TIKTOKS, LERALLY JT VIBG, AND A WI RANGE OF JOK, IMAGE MACROS, AND TRENDS WHOUT SPECIFIC NNECTNS TO LGBTQ+ CULTURE.COURTY OF TUMBLR ER QUALIDYKEAS TO POSSIBLE ORIGS OF THE RISE OF OGS AS A QUEER MAST, THERE ARE THREE MAJOR RECURRG THEM. 1. “TURN THE FRICK’ FROGS GAY”IN ONE OF HIS BETTER-KNOWN UNHGED RANTS: THE 2015 “GAY BOMB” SPEECH, ALEX JON FAMOLY TOLD THE INFOWARS DIENCE ABOUT CHEMILS ADD TO WATER “TURNG THE ICK’ OGS GAY.” IN THE ORIGAL CLIP, WHICH, ALONG WH THE RT OF THE INFOWARS LIBRARY HAS BEEN BANNED OM YOUTUBE, JON MENTNS THE GAY OGS AS EVINCE THAT THE UNED STAT ERNMENT HAS BEEN ADDG THE HERBICI ATRAZE TO TAP WATER AS PART OF A PLOT TO SPREAD HOMOSEXUALY, EMASCULATG MEN AND RCG POPULATN GROWTH. THE ACTUAL MENTN OF GAY OGS IS BRIEF, BUT HIS LIVERY IS MEMORABLE. AFTER SAYG “WHAT DO YOU THK TAP WATER IS? IT’S A GAY BOMB, BABY,” JON ATTEMPTS TO EXPLA THAT HE ISN’T SHOCKED BY GAY SEX BEFORE SHARPLY SHIFTG TO YELLG “I DON’T LIKE ‘EM PUTTING CHEMICALS IN THE WATER THAT TURN THE FRICKIN’ FROGS GAY. DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?” HE THEN SLAPS THE PAPERS ON HIS SK WH ANOTHER STACK OF PAPERS, GNTG AND ADDG “I’M SICK OF THIS CRAP, I’M SICK OF BEG SOCIAL ENGEERED. IT’S NOT FUNNY!” AFTER THAT, HE OLS DOWN, NOT THAT HE NEEDS THE PAPERS THAT HE’S JT KNOCKED OFF HIS SK, AND APOLOGIZ TO HIS “FAY DIENCE” AND TO J BEFORE CHANGG THE SUBJECT. I’M NOT A REGULAR INFOWARS VIEWER SO I’M NOT SURE HOW EXCEPTNAL THIS CLIP IS, BUT WATCHG AN FAMO PEDDLER OF DANGERO NSPIRACY THEORI ABSOLUTELY LOSE OVER THE POSSIBILY OF CHEMILLY-DUCED GAY OG BEHAVR IS FUN. I IMAGE THAT FOR THOSE WHO HAVE HAD A CUP OR TWO OF THE ALEX JON KOOL-AID, THIS WOULD BE A SER PSA, BUT FOR ANYONE ELSE, ’S A SOLID REMR THAT HIS THEORI ARE PLETELY ABSURD, TO SAY THE LEAST. THIS SOUNDBE HAS BEEN REMIXED TO TCHY CLUBBY MIX THAT N BE FOUND ON 1-HOUR LOOPS ON YOUTUBE AND ON TIKTOK AS VIO SOUNDTRACKS. THEY PRIMARILY FEATURE THE WORDS “GAY” AND “OGS” REPEATED THROUGHOUT, AND HONTLY ARE SOMETHG I’D DANCE TO THE GAY CLUB IF/WHEN THEY EVER OPEN AGA.WHILE AN EMBRACE OF OGS AS GAY INS ULD BE A WAY TO RECLAIM THEM OM ALEX JON’ HOMOPHOBIC NSPIRACY THEORY, I THK S STAYG POWER OM THE NATE SILLS OF SOMEONE BEG SO UPSET BY THE NCEPT OF GAY OGS, AS WELL AS THE TCHS OF THE REMIX THAT JON SPIRED. GAY OGS WOULD BE PRETTY OL, ACTUALLY, AND THEIR EXISTENCE WOULD BE FURTHER REASON FOR LGBTQ+ PEOPLE TO CLAIM THEM AS INS.2. FROG & TOADFROG AND TOAD OF ARNOLD LOBEL’S BOOK SERI ARE GAY PARTNERS. THIS IS WELL DOCUMENTED AND THOUGH LOBEL NEVER OFFICIALLY NFIRMED THIS AS NON, HE DID E OUT TO HIS FAY AS GAY A FEW YEARS AFTER THE FIRST FROG AND TOAD BOOK WAS PUBLISHED. CELEBRATNS OF FROG AND TOAD’S RELATNSHIP ROMANTICIZE THEIR IDYLLIC UNTRY LIFTYLE, AMPLE AMOUNT OF LEISURE TIME, AND FASHN SENSE THAT’S REPLITED BY MANY PRENT-DAY QUEER HUMANS. THERE IS ALSO, OF URSE, SOME RULE 34 (THE TER LE THAT ANY OBJECT, CHARACTER, OR MEDIA ANCHISE IMAGABLE HAS PORN ASSOCIATED WH ) FAN ART OUT THERE PICTG THE UPLE’S SEXUAL RELATNSHIP. THE FROG AND TOAD LIFTYLE EPOMIZ “TTAGERE,” AN TER-BORN SUBCULTURE EMBRACED AS AN PIST FANTASY FOR MANY QUEER PEOPLE, PECIALLY LBIANS AND QUEER WOMEN. COTTAGERE GAED SIGNIFINT TRACTN DURG THE COVID-19 PANMIC AS PEOPLE WHO WERE QUARANTG AND ISOLATG, OFTEN SMALL APARTMENTS, TOOK TO BAKG BREAD, GROWG FOOD OM KCHEN SCRAPS, MAKG THEIR OWN CLOTH, AND GENERALLY EMBRACG DOMTICY. WHILE SOME PARTICIPANTS TTAGERE AND ADJACENT LIFTYL ARE KNOWN AS TRADWIF FOR THEIR ADHERENCE TO NSERVATIVE IALS AND “RETURN TO THE GOOD OLE DAYS” ATTU, MANY LGBTQ+ PEOPLE AND LEFTISTS SEE TTAGERE AS A LANDSPE TO IMAGE A WORLD CENTERED AROUND LOVE, RE, NATURE, AND MUNY.BEYOND JT FROG AND TOAD SPECIFILLY, THE ATHETIC OF OGS GENERAL FS WELL WH FANTASI OF LIVG A BETIFUL TTAGE WH YOUR QUEER PARTNER AND/OR CHOSEN FAY, SURROUND BY OGS, MHROOMS, AND IENDLY ANTHROPOMORPHIZED WOODLAND CREATUR. FROG FUN FACT SI NOTE: KERM ISN’T GAY, BUT HE DID MARRY MISS PIGGY SO ARGUABLY HAS BI WIFE ENERGY (A SEMI-IRONIC TERM ED BY TIKTOK ER @CRGELIZARD TO CHARACTERIZE STRAIGHT MEN WHO ARE OFTEN MISTAKEN AS GAY OR BISEXUAL, BUT WHO ACTUALLY JT LOVE THEIR BISEXUAL WIFE). CAN’T YOU JT IMAGE KERM SGG “WELL, TO BE HONT I’M A HETERO GUY, BUT I REALLY TRY TO BE A GOOD ALLY AND A’T NO SECRET AND I’LL TELL YOU WHY ’S E I LOVE MY WIFE AND MY WIFE IS BI. BI WIFE ENERGY, HE HAS BI WIFE ENERGY!”?3.  FROGS ARE CUTEFROGS ARE SMALL, UALLY GREEN, AND PERMANENTLY LOOK LIKE THEY’RE GIVG A TOOTHLS SE WHILE STARG RIGHT AT YOU. EVERYONE LOV CUTE THGS AND THAT CLUS LGBTQ+ PEOPLE, MYSELF AMONG THEM. IN IMAGE MACRO MEM, OGS SERVE AS ACCSIBLE, VERSATILE, AND CUTE CHARACTERS AND INS TO SPCE UP LLAG OR ILLTRATE SCENARS. FOR QUEER PEOPLE WHO EMBRACE CHILDISH FASHN AND ATHETICS, OGS ARE THE PERFECT SYMBOL TO EMBROIR ONTO CLOTHG OR TO DRS UP AS. ADDNALLY, OBSSNS WH AMPHIBIANS HIGHLIGHT OVERLAPS BETWEEN LGBTQ+ AND NERD CULTURE AS TURNS OUT PLENTY OF THE KIDS WHO SPENT THEIR TIME TCHG TADPOL AND MEMORIZG OG FACTS ARE NOW QUEER ADULTS. AS A IEND POTED OUT TO ME, OGS N BE CLASSIFIED AS “TRASH ANIMALS” (OR AT LEAST SEMI-TRASHY ANIMALS) ALONG WH RATS, POSSUMS, RACONS, AND SNAILS. THE ANIMALS ARE OFTEN CHARACTERIZED BY HUMANS AS UNWANTED AND GROSS, EVEN WHEN MANY OF THEM PLAY SENTIAL ELOGIL ROL. “SOGGYRE” AND “SWAMPRE'' ARE NICHE TUMBLR/TER ATHETICS THAT ROMANTICIZE TRASH ANIMALS. THEY ALSO TERSECT WH FROGRE AND COTTAGERE. THE OVERLAP BETWEEN THE NICHE ATHETIC FANDOMS, MANY OF WHICH OBSS OVER TY OGS, AND LGBTQ+ TER CULTURE N LIKELY BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE TREND OF QUEER MUNY BUILDG ONLE AND THE SIGNIFINCE OF TUMBLR AS A HUB FOR YOUNG LGBTQ+ PEOPLE TO EXPLORE THEIR INTI. FROGS, WHICH TEND TO LIVE GOOPY ENVIRONMENTS AND ARE SLIMY, DON’T F CLASSIC MOLDS OF FUZZY AND CUTE SMALL MAMMALS. GARBAGE/SWAMPY ANIMALS SEEM TO HAVE A FUN, GRIMY JE NE SAIS QUOI THAT, ACRDG TO THEM TWEETS, INSTAGRAM MEM, AND TIKTOKS, QUE A FEW QUEER PEOPLE RELATE TO. WHY QUEER PEOPLE INTIFY WH (AND KEEP AS PETS) ANIMALS THAT, WHILE CUTE, ARE OFTEN EXCLUD OM MASTREAM TEGORI OF CUTENS IS AN VTIGATN FOR ANOTHER DAY. THERE DON’T SEEM TO BE MANY BLOGIL, ELOGIL, OR METAPHORIL ELEMENTS OF THE GAY OGS NVERSATN AND ALEX JON’ CLAIMS THAT “THE MAJORY OF OGS MOST AREAS OF THE UNED STAT ARE NOW GAY,” REMA UNSUBSTANTIATED. THERE ULD BE SOME APT ALLNS TO THE METAMORPHOSIS OGS UNRGO OM EGG TO TADPOLE TO FULL-GROWN OG TO THE EXPERIENC OF LGBTQ+ PEOPLE. FROGS HAVE ALSO BEEN KNOWN TO CHANGE THEIR SEX OR “ADJT THEIR SEXUAL STY” THE WILD. HOWEVER, MOST QUEER OG MEM FOC MORE ON THE LOOK AND RAS OF OGS RATHER THAN THEIR NATURAL BEHAVR OR MATG PATTERNS. OTHER THAN BEG CUTE, OGS UNNIABLY HAVE GAY VIB. THIS IS A “CHICKEN OR THE EGG” SCENAR WHERE I DON’T KNOW IF OGS HAVE GAY VIB BEE PEOPLE CID AS MUCH OR IF PEOPLE PICT THEM AS GAY INS BEE OF THEIR TRSIC QUEER VIB (OR ALEX JON SIGNATN). EHER WAY, A MON THEME I’VE SEEN SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS ABOUT OGS IS THAT OGS JT HAVE GAY ENERGY. THIS FS WH THE PROLIFERATN OF MEM THAT CHARACTERIZE ANIMATE OBJECTS, FICTNAL CHARACTERS, AND STRAIGHT CELEBRI AS EXUDG SOME KD OF GAY ENERGY FOR UNSPECIFIED REASONS. WHILE THERE MIGHT NOT BE MUCH ABOUT OGS THAT’S HERENTLY QUEER, THE PROLIFERATN OF MEM ABOUT THEM BEG LGBTQ+ INS IS WHAT I BELIEVE MAK THEM TO QUEER INS. “FROGS ARE NONILLY QUEER” IS AN IA THAT HELPS PEOPLE EXPRS THEMSELV, AND IS ALSO SILLY ENOUGH THAT ANYONE WHO GETS MAD AT THE NOTN ENDS UP LOOKG FOOLISH AND OVERVTED. MEM HAVE THE POWER TO SOLIDIFY IAS POPULAR IMAGATN. THE WAY RMATN FLOWS THROUGH THE TER N TURN AMG, ARBRARY IAS TO NSENS.AS WE SEE A RISE QUANTY AND QUALY OF LGBTQ+ REPRENTATN MEDIA, QUEER PEOPLE ARE STILL FDG THEIR OWN INS, HERO, AND STARS MEME AND TER CULTURE. FROGS MAY BE A SILLY CHOICE, BUT THERE’S MUCH ROOM FOR SILLS WHEN TO QUEER INS AND WHEN TO THE TER. THE PREVALENCE OF OG-RELATED QUEER NTENT AND QUEER-RELATED OG NTENT HIGHLIGHTS THE POWER OF OGS AS SYMBOLS AND THE FLUENCE OF LGBTQ+ PEOPLE ON THE TER TO CLAIM A MON ANIMAL AS A MORN-DAY QUEER IN. ELSEWHERE…

THE SURPRISG STORY OF HOW ABBA BEME BELOVED GAY INS

Gay revelers (and their lucky straight iends) are wavg their arms, strikg genue pos and shamelsly sgg along to the sugary 45-year-old pop standard that’s bee synonymo wh queer nightlife.

WHAT IS A GAY IN?

” and “Macho Man” for themselv, but there’s no way they’ll take this one om to multiple stage and screen rnatns of “Mamma Mia!, ” fabuloly garish stum om gay signer Owe Sandström and nsummately crafted songs more retroactively popular than their ’70s and early ’80s heyday, ABBA has for s been the bull’s-eye of the LGBTQ mil universe.

Ostensibly cheerful but packed wh drama and peppered wh Sndavian melancholy, the Stockholm mixed-genr quartet’s pop has blueprted the glz of untls gay and gay-iendly acts om Kylie Mogue to Lady Gaga, Adam Lambert to Lil Nas X — a sgular achievement for a band that hadn’t pleted an album 40 years. This week releasg “Voyage, ” s first new LP sce 1981 and a teaser for next year’s London ncerts featurg 3D avatars, ABBA is to many gay fans what the Rollg Ston are to straights — archetyp whose appeal transcends time, place and age.

” But gay DJs and their dienc mostly favored unrground divas and obscure orchtral matros they disvered and popularized, not succsful pop acts plucked om AM changed the early ’80s when the U. ”Like Llie’s siarly beloved mix of Jimmy Ruff’s “Hold on to My Love, ” Rodriguez’s ABBA transformatn appeared only on Dis, a gay-owned subscriptn remix service.

WHAT MAK A ‘GAY IN’?

This forced a 12-ch release overseas of “Lay All Your Love on Me’s” paratively ordary LP cut that prerved the exclivy of Rodriguez’s versn, while s longevy proved that dancers — particularly gay on — still craved fast and lty club anthems. In 1982, ABBA’s North Amerin label issued s kdred uptempo tune “The Visors” as a sgle, but once aga, a gay subscriptn-only remix service, Hot Tracks, supplied the extend ABBA that year rerd what would be for s s fal ssns, U. Producers such as Stock Aken Waterman filled the void wh gay-targeted “hi-NRG” tracks that crossed to the mastream via Dead or Alive, Bananarama, Mogue and Summer, while everyone om the Lat Rasls to the Pet Shop Boys replited Rodriguez’s mache-gun hi-NRG ran s urse, England’s Erasure released 1992’s “Abba-que, ” a love letter of ver versns.

In 1994, the oldi promently popped up the movi “Muriel’s Weddg, ” which gave gay fave Toni Collette her big break, and “The Adventur of Priscilla, Queen of the Dert, ” a trans-tastic road edy. At the absolute nadir of the AIDS plague, ABBA was reborn to paragons of gloom-relievg if bombastic outfs and bubblegum hooks had been the only gear ABBA gave to LGBTQ culture, s gay appeal would’ve plummeted after the lifavg arrival of antiviral cktails.

Our survival strategy has always been to unter hate wh love; we manift gayns to endure s on the most fundamental level, ABBA’s heterosexualy is more overt than the straightt rock dus.

FANS ARE GOG ALL ON CELEBRATG GRIMACE’S BIRTHDAY AND CLARG HIM A GAY IN

This is ABBA’s gift to LGBTQ culture — an oasis wh the mega-mastream that Rodriguez and other gay pneers helped Walters is the thor of the forthg book “Mighty Real: The Mic That Built LGBTQ Ameri. Wh same-sex marriage now legal all parts of the UK, n sometime be easy to fet how different attus to homosexualy were the past, and how much change has taken place over the past 50 years.

BNETSUBSCRIBESIGN {"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","URL":","MAENTYOFPAGE":","HEADLE":"THE NEWT QUEER IN: FROGS","SCRIPTN":"MONIZED BY ALEX JON, LGBTQ+ MEME MAKERS HAVE EMBRACED AMPHIBIANS AS A MAST","IMAGE":[{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":"}],"DATEPUBLISHED":"2021-05-07T20:40:28+00:00","DATEMODIFIED":"2021-05-07T20:40:28+00:00","ISACCSIBLEFORFREE":TE,"THOR":[{"@TYPE":"PERSON","NAME":"BRIAN FELDMAN","URL":","SCRIPTN":"THE VENTOR OF BLOGGG","INTIFIER":"ER:241258","IMAGE":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","NTENTURL":","THUMBNAILURL":"}}],"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"BNET","URL":","SCRIPTN":"A NEWSLETTER ABOUT THE TER AND PUTERS OR WHATEVER","TERACTNSTATISTIC":{"@TYPE":"INTERACTNCOUNTER","NAME":"SUBSCRIBERS","TERACTNTYPE":","ERINTERACTNCOUNT":1000},"INTIFIER":"PUB:39741"}}SHARE THIS POSTTHE NEWT QUEER IN: COPY LKFACEBOOKEMAILNOTOTHERTHE NEWT QUEER IN: FROGSMONIZED BY ALEX JON, LGBTQ+ MEME MAKERS HAVE EMBRACED AMPHIBIANS AS A MASTBRIAN FELDMANMAY 7, 2021SHAREBY LIZ SOMMERJUDY GARLAND. DIANNA ROSS. CHER. LADY GAGA. TO THIS DAY, THE NCEPT OF A “GAY IN” IS STILL LARGELY REPRENTED BY (OFTEN HETEROSEXUAL) CELEBRY WOMEN WHO EMBODY ELEMENTS OF SEXUALY AND SELFHOOD THAT RONATE WH AT LEAST SOME LGBTQ+ PEOPLE. WHILE THE PHRASE “GAY IN” MAY NNOTE A DIVA WORSHIPPED BY CIS GAY MEN, A WI RANGE OF CELEBRI HAVE BEE OBJECTS OF AFFECTN BY LGBTQ+ PEOPLE.AS THE TER OPENS UP SPACE FOR QUEER PEOPLE TO FAWN OVER, STAN, AND SHAPE THEIR OWN NARRATIV ABOUT THEIR INS, THE PARAMETERS OF WHAT NSTUT ONE ARE EXPANDG. IN ADDN TO THE CLN OF A MORE DIVERSE SET OF PEOPLE, MANY OF WHOM ARE THEMSELV MEMBERS OF THE LGBTQ+ MUNY, THE NNON OF QUEER INOGRAPHY ON THE TER HAS AN EVEN WIR SPE. IT NOW CLUS THE GREEN AND BROWN M&MS, MISS PIGGY, ICED FFEE, THE PLANT SECTN AT LOWE’S, AND OGS.PLENTY OF TIKTOK VIOS LIST “THGS THAT AREN’T GAY/QUEER/LGBTQ+ BUT HAVE GAY/QUEER/LGBTQ+ ENERGY.” THEY’RE TYPILLY PRENTED WHOUT EXPLANATN, JT THE STATEMENT THAT ANIMATE OBJECTS, STRAIGHT CELEBRI, STOR, ANIMALS, MOVIE VILLAS, POLIL IOLOGI, ETC., HAVE QUEER VIB. FROGS ARE A RECURRG EM ON THE LISTS. OVER THE PAST YEAR OR SO, I’VE NOTICED A STEADY AND GROWG STREAM OF QUEER-RELATED OG NTENT ON THE RNERS OF THE TER I HAB. EXAMPL CLU TWEETS ABOUT BISEXUALS LOVG OGS, OG PRI MERCH SOLD ON ETSY, LBIAN OG MEM, AND A BUILD-A-LGBTQ-OG TUMBLR THREAD. AT FIRST, I DIDN’T THK MUCH OF THIS BEE JT MA SENSE TO ME — THE MORN TER IS PERSONALIZED TO EACH ER. AS A QUEER PERSON WHO VAGUELY LOV OGS, I WASN’T PARTICULARLY SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT THERE WERE OTHER QUEER PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO ALSO LOVE OGS. IN EARLY QUARANTE, WHEN I GOT EP TO THE OG-CENTRIC PART OF TIKTOK KNOWN, PREDICTABLY, AS #FROGTOK, HOWEVER, I REALIZED THAT THE NARRATIVE OF OG-LOVG QUEER PEOPLE WAS NOT JT A VAGUE FEELG, BUT AN ACTUAL SORT OF LGBTQ+ TER FANDOM FOR THE AMPHIBIAN. IT’S WORTH NOTG THAT OGS ARE BIG ON THE TER GENERAL. IN ADDN TO PEPE (THE MATT FURIE-CREATED OG -OPTED BY THE ALT-RIGHT WHO IS ABSENT OM MOST OF THE LGBTQ+ OG MEM I’VE ENUNTERED), OGS N BE FOUND WEARG WBOY HATS TIKTOKS, LERALLY JT VIBG, AND A WI RANGE OF JOK, IMAGE MACROS, AND TRENDS WHOUT SPECIFIC NNECTNS TO LGBTQ+ CULTURE.COURTY OF TUMBLR ER QUALIDYKEAS TO POSSIBLE ORIGS OF THE RISE OF OGS AS A QUEER MAST, THERE ARE THREE MAJOR RECURRG THEM. 1. “TURN THE FRICK’ FROGS GAY”IN ONE OF HIS BETTER-KNOWN UNHGED RANTS: THE 2015 “GAY BOMB” SPEECH, ALEX JON FAMOLY TOLD THE INFOWARS DIENCE ABOUT CHEMILS ADD TO WATER “TURNG THE ICK’ OGS GAY.” IN THE ORIGAL CLIP, WHICH, ALONG WH THE RT OF THE INFOWARS LIBRARY HAS BEEN BANNED OM YOUTUBE, JON MENTNS THE GAY OGS AS EVINCE THAT THE UNED STAT ERNMENT HAS BEEN ADDG THE HERBICI ATRAZE TO TAP WATER AS PART OF A PLOT TO SPREAD HOMOSEXUALY, EMASCULATG MEN AND RCG POPULATN GROWTH. THE ACTUAL MENTN OF GAY OGS IS BRIEF, BUT HIS LIVERY IS MEMORABLE. AFTER SAYG “WHAT DO YOU THK TAP WATER IS? IT’S A GAY BOMB, BABY,” JON ATTEMPTS TO EXPLA THAT HE ISN’T SHOCKED BY GAY SEX BEFORE SHARPLY SHIFTG TO YELLG “I DON’T LIKE ‘EM PUTTING CHEMICALS IN THE WATER THAT TURN THE FRICKIN’ FROGS GAY. DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?” HE THEN SLAPS THE PAPERS ON HIS SK WH ANOTHER STACK OF PAPERS, GNTG AND ADDG “I’M SICK OF THIS CRAP, I’M SICK OF BEG SOCIAL ENGEERED. IT’S NOT FUNNY!” AFTER THAT, HE OLS DOWN, NOT THAT HE NEEDS THE PAPERS THAT HE’S JT KNOCKED OFF HIS SK, AND APOLOGIZ TO HIS “FAY DIENCE” AND TO J BEFORE CHANGG THE SUBJECT. I’M NOT A REGULAR INFOWARS VIEWER SO I’M NOT SURE HOW EXCEPTNAL THIS CLIP IS, BUT WATCHG AN FAMO PEDDLER OF DANGERO NSPIRACY THEORI ABSOLUTELY LOSE OVER THE POSSIBILY OF CHEMILLY-DUCED GAY OG BEHAVR IS FUN. I IMAGE THAT FOR THOSE WHO HAVE HAD A CUP OR TWO OF THE ALEX JON KOOL-AID, THIS WOULD BE A SER PSA, BUT FOR ANYONE ELSE, ’S A SOLID REMR THAT HIS THEORI ARE PLETELY ABSURD, TO SAY THE LEAST. THIS SOUNDBE HAS BEEN REMIXED TO TCHY CLUBBY MIX THAT N BE FOUND ON 1-HOUR LOOPS ON YOUTUBE AND ON TIKTOK AS VIO SOUNDTRACKS. THEY PRIMARILY FEATURE THE WORDS “GAY” AND “OGS” REPEATED THROUGHOUT, AND HONTLY ARE SOMETHG I’D DANCE TO THE GAY CLUB IF/WHEN THEY EVER OPEN AGA.WHILE AN EMBRACE OF OGS AS GAY INS ULD BE A WAY TO RECLAIM THEM OM ALEX JON’ HOMOPHOBIC NSPIRACY THEORY, I THK S STAYG POWER OM THE NATE SILLS OF SOMEONE BEG SO UPSET BY THE NCEPT OF GAY OGS, AS WELL AS THE TCHS OF THE REMIX THAT JON SPIRED. GAY OGS WOULD BE PRETTY OL, ACTUALLY, AND THEIR EXISTENCE WOULD BE FURTHER REASON FOR LGBTQ+ PEOPLE TO CLAIM THEM AS INS.2. FROG & TOADFROG AND TOAD OF ARNOLD LOBEL’S BOOK SERI ARE GAY PARTNERS. THIS IS WELL DOCUMENTED AND THOUGH LOBEL NEVER OFFICIALLY NFIRMED THIS AS NON, HE DID E OUT TO HIS FAY AS GAY A FEW YEARS AFTER THE FIRST FROG AND TOAD BOOK WAS PUBLISHED. CELEBRATNS OF FROG AND TOAD’S RELATNSHIP ROMANTICIZE THEIR IDYLLIC UNTRY LIFTYLE, AMPLE AMOUNT OF LEISURE TIME, AND FASHN SENSE THAT’S REPLITED BY MANY PRENT-DAY QUEER HUMANS. THERE IS ALSO, OF URSE, SOME RULE 34 (THE TER LE THAT ANY OBJECT, CHARACTER, OR MEDIA ANCHISE IMAGABLE HAS PORN ASSOCIATED WH ) FAN ART OUT THERE PICTG THE UPLE’S SEXUAL RELATNSHIP. THE FROG AND TOAD LIFTYLE EPOMIZ “TTAGERE,” AN TER-BORN SUBCULTURE EMBRACED AS AN PIST FANTASY FOR MANY QUEER PEOPLE, PECIALLY LBIANS AND QUEER WOMEN. COTTAGERE GAED SIGNIFINT TRACTN DURG THE COVID-19 PANMIC AS PEOPLE WHO WERE QUARANTG AND ISOLATG, OFTEN SMALL APARTMENTS, TOOK TO BAKG BREAD, GROWG FOOD OM KCHEN SCRAPS, MAKG THEIR OWN CLOTH, AND GENERALLY EMBRACG DOMTICY. WHILE SOME PARTICIPANTS TTAGERE AND ADJACENT LIFTYL ARE KNOWN AS TRADWIF FOR THEIR ADHERENCE TO NSERVATIVE IALS AND “RETURN TO THE GOOD OLE DAYS” ATTU, MANY LGBTQ+ PEOPLE AND LEFTISTS SEE TTAGERE AS A LANDSPE TO IMAGE A WORLD CENTERED AROUND LOVE, RE, NATURE, AND MUNY.BEYOND JT FROG AND TOAD SPECIFILLY, THE ATHETIC OF OGS GENERAL FS WELL WH FANTASI OF LIVG A BETIFUL TTAGE WH YOUR QUEER PARTNER AND/OR CHOSEN FAY, SURROUND BY OGS, MHROOMS, AND IENDLY ANTHROPOMORPHIZED WOODLAND CREATUR. FROG FUN FACT SI NOTE: KERM ISN’T GAY, BUT HE DID MARRY MISS PIGGY SO ARGUABLY HAS BI WIFE ENERGY (A SEMI-IRONIC TERM ED BY TIKTOK ER @CRGELIZARD TO CHARACTERIZE STRAIGHT MEN WHO ARE OFTEN MISTAKEN AS GAY OR BISEXUAL, BUT WHO ACTUALLY JT LOVE THEIR BISEXUAL WIFE). CAN’T YOU JT IMAGE KERM SGG “WELL, TO BE HONT I’M A HETERO GUY, BUT I REALLY TRY TO BE A GOOD ALLY AND A’T NO SECRET AND I’LL TELL YOU WHY ’S E I LOVE MY WIFE AND MY WIFE IS BI. BI WIFE ENERGY, HE HAS BI WIFE ENERGY!”?3.  FROGS ARE CUTEFROGS ARE SMALL, UALLY GREEN, AND PERMANENTLY LOOK LIKE THEY’RE GIVG A TOOTHLS SE WHILE STARG RIGHT AT YOU. EVERYONE LOV CUTE THGS AND THAT CLUS LGBTQ+ PEOPLE, MYSELF AMONG THEM. IN IMAGE MACRO MEM, OGS SERVE AS ACCSIBLE, VERSATILE, AND CUTE CHARACTERS AND INS TO SPCE UP LLAG OR ILLTRATE SCENARS. FOR QUEER PEOPLE WHO EMBRACE CHILDISH FASHN AND ATHETICS, OGS ARE THE PERFECT SYMBOL TO EMBROIR ONTO CLOTHG OR TO DRS UP AS. ADDNALLY, OBSSNS WH AMPHIBIANS HIGHLIGHT OVERLAPS BETWEEN LGBTQ+ AND NERD CULTURE AS TURNS OUT PLENTY OF THE KIDS WHO SPENT THEIR TIME TCHG TADPOL AND MEMORIZG OG FACTS ARE NOW QUEER ADULTS. AS A IEND POTED OUT TO ME, OGS N BE CLASSIFIED AS “TRASH ANIMALS” (OR AT LEAST SEMI-TRASHY ANIMALS) ALONG WH RATS, POSSUMS, RACONS, AND SNAILS. THE ANIMALS ARE OFTEN CHARACTERIZED BY HUMANS AS UNWANTED AND GROSS, EVEN WHEN MANY OF THEM PLAY SENTIAL ELOGIL ROL. “SOGGYRE” AND “SWAMPRE'' ARE NICHE TUMBLR/TER ATHETICS THAT ROMANTICIZE TRASH ANIMALS. THEY ALSO TERSECT WH FROGRE AND COTTAGERE. THE OVERLAP BETWEEN THE NICHE ATHETIC FANDOMS, MANY OF WHICH OBSS OVER TY OGS, AND LGBTQ+ TER CULTURE N LIKELY BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE TREND OF QUEER MUNY BUILDG ONLE AND THE SIGNIFINCE OF TUMBLR AS A HUB FOR YOUNG LGBTQ+ PEOPLE TO EXPLORE THEIR INTI. FROGS, WHICH TEND TO LIVE GOOPY ENVIRONMENTS AND ARE SLIMY, DON’T F CLASSIC MOLDS OF FUZZY AND CUTE SMALL MAMMALS. GARBAGE/SWAMPY ANIMALS SEEM TO HAVE A FUN, GRIMY JE NE SAIS QUOI THAT, ACRDG TO THEM TWEETS, INSTAGRAM MEM, AND TIKTOKS, QUE A FEW QUEER PEOPLE RELATE TO. WHY QUEER PEOPLE INTIFY WH (AND KEEP AS PETS) ANIMALS THAT, WHILE CUTE, ARE OFTEN EXCLUD OM MASTREAM TEGORI OF CUTENS IS AN VTIGATN FOR ANOTHER DAY. THERE DON’T SEEM TO BE MANY BLOGIL, ELOGIL, OR METAPHORIL ELEMENTS OF THE GAY OGS NVERSATN AND ALEX JON’ CLAIMS THAT “THE MAJORY OF OGS MOST AREAS OF THE UNED STAT ARE NOW GAY,” REMA UNSUBSTANTIATED. THERE ULD BE SOME APT ALLNS TO THE METAMORPHOSIS OGS UNRGO OM EGG TO TADPOLE TO FULL-GROWN OG TO THE EXPERIENC OF LGBTQ+ PEOPLE. FROGS HAVE ALSO BEEN KNOWN TO CHANGE THEIR SEX OR “ADJT THEIR SEXUAL STY” THE WILD. HOWEVER, MOST QUEER OG MEM FOC MORE ON THE LOOK AND RAS OF OGS RATHER THAN THEIR NATURAL BEHAVR OR MATG PATTERNS. OTHER THAN BEG CUTE, OGS UNNIABLY HAVE GAY VIB. THIS IS A “CHICKEN OR THE EGG” SCENAR WHERE I DON’T KNOW IF OGS HAVE GAY VIB BEE PEOPLE CID AS MUCH OR IF PEOPLE PICT THEM AS GAY INS BEE OF THEIR TRSIC QUEER VIB (OR ALEX JON SIGNATN). EHER WAY, A MON THEME I’VE SEEN SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS ABOUT OGS IS THAT OGS JT HAVE GAY ENERGY. THIS FS WH THE PROLIFERATN OF MEM THAT CHARACTERIZE ANIMATE OBJECTS, FICTNAL CHARACTERS, AND STRAIGHT CELEBRI AS EXUDG SOME KD OF GAY ENERGY FOR UNSPECIFIED REASONS. WHILE THERE MIGHT NOT BE MUCH ABOUT OGS THAT’S HERENTLY QUEER, THE PROLIFERATN OF MEM ABOUT THEM BEG LGBTQ+ INS IS WHAT I BELIEVE MAK THEM TO QUEER INS. “FROGS ARE NONILLY QUEER” IS AN IA THAT HELPS PEOPLE EXPRS THEMSELV, AND IS ALSO SILLY ENOUGH THAT ANYONE WHO GETS MAD AT THE NOTN ENDS UP LOOKG FOOLISH AND OVERVTED. MEM HAVE THE POWER TO SOLIDIFY IAS POPULAR IMAGATN. THE WAY RMATN FLOWS THROUGH THE TER N TURN AMG, ARBRARY IAS TO NSENS.AS WE SEE A RISE QUANTY AND QUALY OF LGBTQ+ REPRENTATN MEDIA, QUEER PEOPLE ARE STILL FDG THEIR OWN INS, HERO, AND STARS MEME AND TER CULTURE. FROGS MAY BE A SILLY CHOICE, BUT THERE’S MUCH ROOM FOR SILLS WHEN TO QUEER INS AND WHEN TO THE TER. THE PREVALENCE OF OG-RELATED QUEER NTENT AND QUEER-RELATED OG NTENT HIGHLIGHTS THE POWER OF OGS AS SYMBOLS AND THE FLUENCE OF LGBTQ+ PEOPLE ON THE TER TO CLAIM A MON ANIMAL AS A MORN-DAY QUEER IN. ELSEWHERE…

For hundreds of years gay people have stggled to be accepted and treated the same as people who are not fact wasn't until 1967, that two men were able to be a relatnship together whout the fear of beg stands for lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr. Sometim appears wh Q, meang queer and +, which is an clive symbol to mean 'and others' to clu people of all history month tak place Febary each year, to help te people on lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr history, as well as the history of the gay and civil rights out more about some of those who have ma an impact both om the past and prent. Alan TurgAlan Turg was not a well known figure durg his lifetime, but today he is famo and celebrated for the ccial part he played the victory over Nazi Germany was a mathematician who cracked somethg lled the Enigma , which is thought to have shortened the war by several was also a victim of mid-20th Century attus to homosexualy and 1952 was arrted bee beg homosexual was illegal Bra at this 2013 he was pardoned for this 'crime', and 2017 the ernment agreed to officially pardon men acced of 'crim' like this, meang they will no longer have a crimal pardong has e to be known as the Alan Turg 2019 Turg was named the most "inic" figure of the 20th Century and his face now appears on the £50 note.

Osr WilImage source, Napoleon Sarony/Universal History ArchiveOsr Wil is one of the famo playwrights of all time, fact, you might even have studied 'The Importance of Beg Earnt' - one of his most famo plays - at was married to a woman and had two sons, but was later acced of beg homosexual. Johnson was an Ain Amerin transgenr-rights activist, whose work the 1960s and 1970s had a huge impact on the LGBT this time, beg gay was classified as a mental illns the Uned Stat. Gay people were regularly threatened and beaten by police, and were shunned by many June 1969, when Marsha was 23 years old, police raid a gay bar New York lled The Stonewall Inn.