I usually take a break from both Portland and the internet once a year. It's good to just fully disconnect from social media. For a long time now, I've had those breaks coincide with the start of June.
It's just so overwhelming online and off. Online, I am in fandom and queer spaces. Offline, I am in Portland.
Pride has always been a shitty experience for me. Alienating at best. I don't want me being bitter to rain on anyone's parade and I don't want other people feeling happy and connected and shit to be rubbing salt in old wounds. So, I usually remove myself from the situation. Like yeet myself out of cell phone range and sometimes to the center of Alaska levels of remove myself.
Last year wasn't bad because Pride was sort of an after-thought. I did a virtual march in the MMO I play. I watched some other city's Pride event on Twitch because they had Orville Peck. All in all, it was not bad.
I am not going to get into all the reasons why it's shit to me or why seeing every place draped in flags and celebrating inclusion and community when I have neither in this town drives me nuts. Going down that rabbit hole would be the opposite of good right now.
The question is how do I insulate myself this year? I don't want other people being happy making me snarly. I am already seeing people burnt out on how intense Pride discourse is this year. It's just so intense and so ... everywhere. I am way past the point where I should have a plan or something.
I was considering trying to express some of my feeling about Pride in fic form, but that would be just a mess.
It's just so overwhelming online and off. Online, I am in fandom and queer spaces. Offline, I am in Portland.
Pride has always been a shitty experience for me. Alienating at best. I don't want me being bitter to rain on anyone's parade and I don't want other people feeling happy and connected and shit to be rubbing salt in old wounds. So, I usually remove myself from the situation. Like yeet myself out of cell phone range and sometimes to the center of Alaska levels of remove myself.
Last year wasn't bad because Pride was sort of an after-thought. I did a virtual march in the MMO I play. I watched some other city's Pride event on Twitch because they had Orville Peck. All in all, it was not bad.
I am not going to get into all the reasons why it's shit to me or why seeing every place draped in flags and celebrating inclusion and community when I have neither in this town drives me nuts. Going down that rabbit hole would be the opposite of good right now.
The question is how do I insulate myself this year? I don't want other people being happy making me snarly. I am already seeing people burnt out on how intense Pride discourse is this year. It's just so intense and so ... everywhere. I am way past the point where I should have a plan or something.
I was considering trying to express some of my feeling about Pride in fic form, but that would be just a mess.
no subject
Date: 2021-05-22 01:06 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2021-05-22 01:52 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2021-05-22 11:48 am (UTC)From:Maybe head to the coast for an easy trip? You're out of Portland and there might be places since pandemic and all.
no subject
Date: 2021-05-22 06:55 pm (UTC)From: