☆♡✿🌈Happy Pride Month | Born This Way 🏳️‍🌈✿♡☆DT Note P.19

The history of the LGBTQ+ movement is marked by a spirit of overcoming. It all started with a series of riots, the Stonewall uprising, in a pub in lower Manhattan in 1969. This moment was so pivotal that it led to an annual commemoration that transformed into the first pride parades. These first parades took place simultaneously in two cities, Chicago and San Francisco. 

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Another milestone was the creation of the rainbow flag by Gilbert Baker, an activist. He designed this emblem looking for inspiration in several things like social movements, music, and the Flag of Races. But the LGBTQ+ movement didn’t stop there… 🏳️‍🌈

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While Pride events vary from place to place, they serve the world by raising awareness and acceptance of LGBTQ+ people worldwide. In many countries where discrimination or persecution still exists, Gay Pride events worldwide help break down barriers and bring people together.  While there is still much work to be done, the positive wave of momentum continues to grow, and prejudice is being paved over with pride worldwide!

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There is no doubt, quotations are part of pride symbolism. When Pride Day approaches, we read “love is love” everywhere. Quotes are a great way to encourage values like understanding, respect, and sympathy. They are also helpful in keeping communities together or to make people feel empowered. “Pride for everyone”, “we’re here. We’re queer”, or “the future is trans” are just a few examples.

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Music has also influenced the LGBT+ arena. There are many lyrics that have become powerful pride quotations, like “born this way” (Lady Gaga), “I see your true colors shining through” (Cyndi Lauper). Likewise, people like RuPaul (a famous drag queen) have turned his quotation into a Pride anthem: “We’re all born naked and the rest is drag”.

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33 countries across the globe have legalised marriage equality under their domestic jurisdictions. Marriage is not only a question of dignity, but it is also a bouquet of rights that the LGBTQIA+ people are being denied. One cannot nominate their partner for life insurance as well. And, unfortunately, these are not theoretical issues. This is our life and therefore, anything short of that would not be acceptable. The right to marriage equality flows from the Constitution’s promise of dignity, equality and fraternity.

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There are about 67 countries that penalise LGBTQ+ relationships and about a dozen where being gay is a punishable criminal offence. These countries usually claim that "homosexual" relationships cannot be allowed owing to strict religious norms and moral considerations. The LGBTQ+ youth has the highest rates of suicide, depression and harassment in online and offline spaces.

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What does the LGBTQIA+ stand for?

Acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, agender or asexual and "+" for the other identities and labels. LGBT and LGBTQ+ are also used, with the + added in recognition of all non-straight, non-cisgender identities. 

Ask people how they describe themselves before labelling their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Sexual Orientation

The scientifically accurate term for an person’s enduring physical, romantic and/ or emotional attraction to another person. Sexual orientations can include heterosexual (straight), lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, asexual, and other orientations. People need not have had specific sexual experiences to know their own sexual orientation; in fact, they need not have had any sexual experience at all.

Gender identity and sexual orientation are not the same. 

Lesbian

A woman whose enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attraction is to other women. Some lesbians may prefer to identify as gay (adj.) or as gay women. Avoid identifying lesbians as "homosexuals.” Lesbian can be used as a noun or adjective. 

Although there are multiple versions of the Lesbian Pride Flag, this one—which has been around since 2018—appears to be the one that’s most widely embraced. The seven different shades of pink, orange, white, and red were used to represent different types of femininity.

Gay

An adjective used to describe a person whose enduring physical, romantic, and/ or emotional attractions are to people of the same sex (e.g., gay man, gay people). Avoid identifying gay people as "homosexuals" an outdated term considered derogatory and offensive to many lesbian and gay people.

This is the new, more accepted and widely used version of a flag for gay men specifically created by user gayflagblog on 10th July 2019. 

"The green (Community) and teal (Joy) in the flag represent Nature. I thought this was important because love between men is often seen as “unnatural” in the eyes of society and in religion. Furthermore, gay men have historically used green flowers and plants (Carnations, hyacinths, etc.) to symbolize our love, reinforcing our connection with Nature. The white stripe is adopted from the Trans Pride flag because trans, nb, and GNC men are often erased or talked over and need explicit representation. We have a lot of unadressed and blatant Transphobia, internalized Homophobia, and Toxic Masculinity directed towards GNC/non-cis men in our community that we need to address and resolve. The purple (Fortitude) and indigo (Diversity) in the flag represent diversity in presentation, relationships, & life experience. We’re so often stereotyped as all fitting into these neat little categories, especially by those who choose to fetishize us & by non-MLM, but in reality there are so so many different ways to be a man and so many ways to be a man who loves or who is in a relationship with other men, and this needs to be emphasized. Purple is a mix of blue and red, and seeing as common criticism of other gay man flag proposals is “oh blue for boy? bleh”, I decided to have a light blue stripe leading into a deep purple to symbolize how some of us might be stereotypical, some of us might not be, and some of us are in-between or fluid. Regardless, we should all be celebrated and respected. This flag is inclusive of all gay (men loving men) men."

Bisexual, Bi, Bi+

An adjective used to describe a person who has the potential to be physically, romantically, and/or emotionally attracted to people of more than one gender, not necessarily at the same time, in the same way, or to the same degree. The bi in bisexual refers to genders the same as and different from one's own gender. 

People may experience this attraction in differing ways and degrees over their lifetime. Some people use the words bisexual and bi to describe the community. Others may use bi+ which is intended to be inclusive of those who call themselves bisexual, pansexual, fluid, queer and other words which describe people who have the potential to be attracted to more than one gender. Similar to questioning, people might say they are bicurious if they are exploring whether or not they are attracted to people of the same gender as well as people of other genders. 

Florida-based LGBTQ activist Michael Page created the Bisexual Pride Flag in 1998 to increase the visibility of bisexual individuals—who are attracted to two genders—in both the LGBTQ community and society as a whole. The pink represents attraction to those of the same gender identity, while the blue stands for attraction to people who identify as a different gender. The purple stripe in the middle symbolizes attraction to two genders.

Pansexual

An adjective used to describe a person who has the capacity to form enduring physical, romantic, and/ or emotional attractions to any person, regardless of gender identity. 

Pansexual folks—who are attracted to people regardless of their gender identity—got their own flag around 2010. It was created to both increase their overall visibility and help differentiate the group from bisexual individuals. Here, the pink represents attraction to people who identify as female, while the blue stands for attraction to those who identify as male. The yellow stripe in the middle represents attraction to those who identify as genderqueer, nonbinary, agender, androgynous, or anyone who doesn’t identify on the male-female binary.

Transgender

An adjective to describe people whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. People who are transgender may also use other terms, in addition to transgender, to describe their gender more specifically.  

Use the term(s) the person uses to describe themself. It is important to note that being transgender is not dependent upon physical appearance or medical procedures. A person can call themself transgender the moment they realize that their gender identity is different than the sex they were assigned at birth.

The Transgender Pride Flag has been around since 1999, when an American transgender Navy veteran named Monica Helms created it. A year later, the flag made its debut at a Pride parade in Phoenix. Light blue and pink are featured because they’re the traditional colors associated with baby boys and girls, respectively. The white represents those who are intersex, transitioning, or see themselves as having a neutral or undefined gender.

Queer

An adjective used by some people, particularly younger people, whose sexual orientation is not exclusively heterosexual (e.g. queer person, queer woman). Typically, for those who identify as queer, the terms lesbian, gay, and bisexual are perceived to be too limiting and/or fraught with cultural connotations they feel do not apply to them. 

Once considered a pejorative term, queer has been reclaimed by some LGBTQ people to describe themselves. However, it is not a universally accepted term even within the LGBTQ community, so use caution when using it outside of describing the way someone self-identifies or in a direct quote. 

When Q is seen at the end of LGBT, it typically means queer. In a setting for support, particularly for youth, it may mean questioning. 

Genderqueer 

Genderqueer Pride Flag, which writer and activist Marilyn Roxie designed in 2011 with input from the readers of the website Genderqueer Identities. As the combination of the traditionally masculine and feminine colors (blue and pink), lavender represents androgyny and other queer identities, while white stands for agender identity and green represents those whose identities are defined outside the binary.

Queer People of Color (QPOC) 

Although the flag’s designer and year of creation are unknown, the Queer People of Color (QPOC) Pride Flag made an appearance at San Francisco Pride in 2019 and rose to prominence in 2020. The raised clenched fist in the center of the traditional rainbow flag indicates solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. The QPOC flag also represents how intertwined the queer community and people of color have been over the years in their fight for equality, including in the early days of the queer liberation movement and the work of activist Marsha P. Johnson.

Intersex

Intersex is “an umbrella term describing people born with reproductive or sexual anatomy and/or a chromosome pattern that can't be classified as typically male or female.” An adjective used to describe a person with one or more innate sex characteristics, including genitals, internal reproductive organs, and chromosomes, that fall outside of traditional conceptions of male or female bodies. Do not confuse having an intersex trait with being transgender. Intersex people are assigned a sex at birth — either male or female — and that decision by medical providers and parents may not match the gender identity of the child. 

The A is used to represent those who identify as asexual or those who are agender. 

Asexual

An adjective used to describe a person who does not experience sexual attraction (e.g., asexual person). Sometimes shortened to "ace." Asexual is an umbrella term that can also include people who are demisexual, meaning a person who does experience some sexual attraction, but only in certain situations, for example, after they have formed a strong emotional or romantic connection with a partner.

Agender 

Agender Pride Flag created in 2014 by New York–based artist and activist Salem X, the Agender Pride Flag represents people who identify as having no gender, an unidentifiable gender, or being gender neutral. There are a total of seven stripes: two black, two gray, two white, and one green, with each color having its own meaning:

Black: The absence of gender

White: The absence of gender

Gray: Semi-genderless

Green: Nonbinary genders

Nonbinary

Nonbinary is an adjective used by people who experience their gender identity and/or gender expression as falling outside the binary gender categories of man and woman. Many nonbinary people also call themselves transgender and consider themselves part of the transgender community. Others do not. Nonbinary is an umbrella term that encompasses many different ways to understand one's gender. Some nonbinary people may also use words like agender, bigender, demigender, pangender, etc. to describe the specific way in which they are nonbinary. Always ask people what words they use to describe themselves. Nonbinary is sometimes shortened to enby. 

This LGBTQ flag was created in 2014 to represent nonbinary people, whose gender identity does not fit within the traditional male/female binary. The goal wasn’t to replace the Genderqueer Pride Flag but to fly the Nonbinary Pride Flag alongside it. Its colors symbolize those whose gender falls outside of and without reference to the binary (yellow), people with many or all genders (white), those whose gender identity falls somewhere between male/female or is a mix of them (purple), and people who feel they are without a gender (black).

Genderfluid 

JJ Poole created the Genderfluid Pride Flag in 2013 to represent folks whose gender identity and/or expression is fluid and may fluctuate at different times or in different circumstances. The flag has five horizontal stripes of different colors representing femininity (pink), lack of gender (white), a combination of both masculinity and femininity (purple), all genders anywhere on the spectrum (black), and masculinity (blue).

Other Identities

Allosexual
An adjective used to describe a person who experiences sexual attraction to others, and is not asexual (e.g., allosexual person).

Androsexual/Androphilic
An adjective used to describe a person who is primarily sexually, aesthetically, and/or romantically attracted to masculinity.

Aromantic
An adjective used to describe a person who does not experience romantic attraction. Aromantic is an umbrella term that can also include people who are demiromantic, meaning a person who does not experience romantic attraction until a strong emotional or sexual connection is formed with a partner.

Gynesexual/gynephilic
An adjective used to describe a person who is primarily sexually, aesthetically, and/or romantically attracted to femininity.

Heterosexual
An adjective used to describe a person whose enduring physical, romantic, and/ or emotional attraction is to people of a sex different than their own. Also: straight.

Homosexual
Outdated clinical term considered derogatory and offensive. 

Questioning

An adjective used by some people who are in the process of exploring their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

Same-Gender Loving
Also known as SGL, this is a term used by some African American people as an Afrocentric alternative to what are considered Eurocentric, or white, identities like gay and lesbian. Coined by activist Cleo Manago in the 1990s, the term and its usage explicitly recognizes the histories and cultures of people of African descent.

Two-Spirit
An adjective used by some Indigenous and First Nations people as an umbrella term to describe people who are not straight and/or cisgender. Many Indigenous communities have specific words in their language to describe these experiences, but some do not. This term should not be used to describe people who are not Indigenous. Only use it for an Indigenous person if they use it to describe themselves.

Source : https://www.glaad.org/reference/terms & https://www.rd.com/list/lgbtq-flags/

Some Terms

Ally/Allies
An adjective used to describe a straight and/or cisgender person who supports and advocates for LGBTQ people. 

Biphobia
Prejudice or hatred toward bisexual people, expressed in speech or actions. Biphobia may be expressed in comments that reflect doubts about the legitimacy of bisexuality as an orientation, inaccurately implying that it is not real, "just a phase" or a cover for someone not ready to come out as gay. Intolerance, bias, or prejudice is usually a more accurate description.

Civil Union
Historically used in the U.S. to describe state-based relationship recognition for same-sex couples that offered some or all of the state rights, protections, and responsibilities of marriage, but none of the federal rights. While many Western countries (including the United States) have now legalized marriage equality, others only legally recognise same-sex relationships through civil unions or other legal partnerships. Only 69 countries in world recognise these relationships. 

Closeted
Describes a person who is not open about their sexual orientation. Better to simply refer to someone as not out about being LGBTQ. People may be out to some people in their life, but not out to others due to fear of rejection, harassment, violence, losing one's job, or other concerns.

Coming Out
A lifelong process of self-acceptance. People come to understand their own sexual orientation first, and then they may reveal it to others. It is not necessary to have sexual experiences to come out as LGBTQ, nor is it necessary to tell others. It is possible to simply be out to one's self.

Domestic Partnership
Civil/legal recognition of a committed relationship between two people that sometimes extends limited legal protections to them.

Homophobia
Prejudice or hatred toward gay, lesbian, bisexual, or queer people, expressed in speech or actions. Intolerance, bias, or prejudice is usually a more accurate description.

Lifestyle
Inaccurate term used by anti-LGBTQ activists to denigrate LGBTQ people and inaccurately imply that being LGBTQ is a voluntary or a “choice.” As there is no one straight lifestyle, there is no one LGBTQ lifestyle.

Marriage or Marriage Equality
When reporting on marriage for same-sex couples, preferred terminology includes marriage equality, marriage for same-sex couples, or just marriage. Note, the terms "gay marriage" and "same-sex marriage" should be avoided, as they can suggest marriage for same-sex couples is somehow different or less equal than other marriages. 

Openly Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender
This phrase is now dated. Please see Out below. "Openly gay" has been used to describe people who self-identify as gay in their personal, public, and/or professional lives. Also openly lesbian, openly bisexual, openly transgender, openly queer. While technically accurate, the phrase implies a confessional aspect to publicly acknowledging one's sexual orientation or gender identity. It is now better to avoid this phrase.

Out
A person who self-identifies as gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer and/or transgender  in their personal, public, and/or professional lives. For example: Ricky Martin is an out gay pop star from Puerto Rico. Preferred to openly gay.

Outing
The act of publicly revealing (sometimes based on rumor and/or speculation) another person's sexual orientation or gender identity without that person's consent. Considered inappropriate and potentially dangerous by a large portion of the LGBTQ community.

Sodomy Laws
Historically used to selectively persecute gay people, the state laws often referred to as "sodomy laws".  "Sodomy" should never be used to describe relationships or sexual orientation.

TERMS TO AVOID
"homosexual" (n. or adj.)
Because of the clinical history of the word “homosexual,” it is aggressively used by anti-LGBTQ activists to suggest that people attracted to the same sex are somehow diseased or psychologically/emotionally disordered – notions discredited by the American Psychological Association and the American Psychiatric Association in the 1970s. Please avoid using "homosexual" except in direct quotes. Please also avoid using "homosexual" as a style variation simply to avoid repeated use of the word "gay." Many mainstream news outlets’ style guides restrict use of the term "homosexual."

BEST PRACTICE
gay (adj.); gay man or lesbian (adj., n.); gay person/people
Use gay, lesbian, or when appropriate, bisexual, pansexual, or queer to describe people attracted to people of the same gender or more than one gender. Ask people how they describe themselves before labelling their sexual orientation.

TERMS TO AVOID
"homosexual relations/relationship," "homosexual couple," "homosexual sex," etc.
Identifying a same-sex couple as "a homosexual couple," characterizing their relationship as "a homosexual relationship," or identifying their intimacy as "homosexual sex" should be avoided. These constructions are frequently used by anti-LGBTQ activists to denigrate LGBTQ people, couples, and relationships.

BEST PRACTICE
relationship, couple (or, if necessary, gay/lesbian/same-sex couple), sex, etc.
As a rule, try to avoid labelling an activity, emotion, or relationship gay, lesbian, bisexual, or queer unless you would call the same activity, emotion, or relationship "straight" if engaged in by someone of another orientation.

TERMS TO AVOID
"sexual preference"
The term "sexual preference" is typically used to inaccurately suggest that being attracted to the same sex is a choice and therefore can and should be "cured" or "changed."

BEST PRACTICE
sexual orientation or orientation
Sexual orientation is the accurate description of an person's enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attraction to people of the same gender and/or people of a different gender, and is inclusive of people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, and pansexual, as well as straight people.

TERMS TO AVOID
"gay lifestyle," “LGBTQ lifestyle,” "homosexual lifestyle," or "transgender lifestyle"
There is no single “LGBTQ lifestyle.” LGBTQ people are diverse in the ways they lead their lives. The phrases "gay lifestyle," “LGBTQ lifestyle,” "homosexual lifestyle," and "transgender lifestyle" are used to denigrate LGBTQ people by inaccurately suggesting that their sexual orientation and/or gender identity is a choice and therefore can and should be "cured" or "changed."

BEST PRACTICE
LGBTQ+ people and their lives

TERMS TO AVOID

"gay rights" or "special rights"

LGBTQ+ people are not asking for rights that are different from the rights everyone has. They are simply seeking full equality under the law and an end to discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.

BEST PRACTICE

Equality for LGBTQ people. LGBTQ people are advocating to be treated equally.

Anti-LGBTQ Terms to Avoid

"fag," "faggot," "dyke," "homo," "sodomite," and similar epithets

While some in the community have reclaimed and use these words to describe themselves, the criteria for mainstream news media in using these derogatory terms should be the same as those applied to vulgar epithets used to target other groups: they should not be used except in a direct quote that reveals the bias of the person quoted or if a LGBTQ person uses the term to describe themself. So that such words are not given credibility in the media, it is preferred that reporters say, "The person used a derogatory word for a lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender/queer person" except when a LGBTQ person uses the term to describe themself.

"deviant," "disordered," "dysfunctional," "diseased," "perverted," "destructive" and similar descriptions

The notion that being LGBTQ is a psychological disorder was discredited by the American Psychological Association and the American Psychiatric Association in the 1970s. Words such as deviant," "diseased" and "disordered" are sometimes used to portray LGBTQ people as less than human, mentally ill, or as a danger to society. Words such as these should be avoided in stories about the LGBTQ community. If they must be used, they should be quoted directly in a way that clearly reveals the bias of the person being quoted.

Associating LGBTQ people with pedophilia, child abuse, sexual abuse, bestiality, bigamy, polygamy, adultery and/or incest

Being LGBTQ is neither synonymous with, nor indicative of, any tendency toward pedophilia, child abuse, sexual abuse, bestiality, bigamy, polygamy, adultery and/or incest. Such claims, innuendoes and associations often are used to insinuate that LGBTQ people pose a threat to society, to families, and to children in particular. Such assertions and insinuations are defamatory and should be avoided, except in direct quotes that clearly reveal the bias of the person quoted.

Source : https://www.glaad.org/reference/terms 

𝕽𝖊𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖒𝖊𝖓𝖉𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖘

𝓢𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓼 

https://youtu.be/YerggbJOxBk

Let's celebrate this Pride Month in a musical fashion! The music industry across the globe has some of the finest queer artists! Share your favourite song by any queer artist or a song that reflects the spirit of love across boundaries. 

*You may not know how many queer artists are erased in history - check Bi Erasure*

https://youtu.be/tilsrO-3gcQ

Starting off with The Village

They say, "Don't dare, don't you even go there"

"Cutting off your long hair"

"You do as you're told"

Tell you, "Wake up, go put on your makeup"

"This is just a phase you're gonna outgrow"

There's something wrong in the village

In the village, oh

They stare in the village

In the village, oh

There's nothing wrong with you

It's true, it's true

There's something wrong with the village

Written in February 2017, “The Village” is an ode to the LGBTQ+ community. The song deals with the feelings of isolation that can come with exploration of one’s sexuality and identity, and reminds the listener that there is nothing wrong with them, instead the problem persists with the ones that treat them differently. It was written as a tribute to the trans community following the withdrawal of federal protections for trans-identifying students in public schools.

Despite being written several months prior, Wrabel felt moved to release the track as a sign of solidarity following American President Donald Trump’s movement to ban trans-identifying people from all branches of the US military in late July 2017.

Wrabel spoke with Billboard about how his own experiences as a gay man influenced the creation of the song:

This song is the most important thing to me that I have ever done and probably will ever do. It’s the closest thing to my heart. I came out as gay around 23 into a church in Los Angeles that told me I could and should change; that I was unnatural and wrong. I hope this reaches anyone in need of it and makes them feel like they’re not alone.

Happy Pride to all! 🌈🌈🌈

Here's to hoping more and more people come to their senses and move past their useless phobias! ❤️

Well-expressed and highly knowledgeable thread, Neha.  

Do not allow people to dim your light because they are blind. Tell them to put on some sunglasses, because some were born this way. Being yourself is truly a revolutionary act. And I think more, and more people should try it👍🏼

“Born This Way” is about self-liberation, and loving every part of yourself, no matter your race, gender, or sexuality.

Lady Gaga emphasizes that loving a human or a religious entity can both equally be considered expressions of worship, as many religious people claim the importance of loving humans to be an essential part of their religion. With her lyrics, GaGa addresses the persistent prejudice against many types of love, e.g. non-heterosexual love that is still wide-spread among many religious communities and societies. GaGa criticizes any stance based on religious prejudice: to her, worshipping God equals loving all “His” creatures just the way they are.

The entire song is about internalizing this accepting point of view, learning who you are and loving that person.

https://youtu.be/wV1FrqwZyKw

Born This Way - Lady Gaga

It doesn't matter if you love him or capital H-I-M

Just put your paws up

'Cause you were born this way, baby

My mama told me when I was young, "We are all born superstars"

She rolled my hair and put my lipstick on in the glass of her boudoir

"There's nothing wrong with loving who you are"

She said, "'Cause He made you perfect, babe

So hold your head up, girl, and you'll go far"

Listen to me when I say

I'm beautiful in my way 'cause God makes no mistakes

I'm on the right track, baby, I was born this way

Don't hide yourself in regret, just love yourself, and you're set

I'm on the right track, baby, I was born this way (born this way)

Ooh, there ain't no other way, baby, I was born this way

Baby, I was born this way (born this way)

Ooh, there ain't no other way, baby, I was born this way

Right track, baby, I was born this way

Don't be a drag, just be a queen

Don't be a drag, just be a queen

Don't be a drag, just be a queen

Don't be (don't be, don't be)

Give yourself prudence and love your friends

Subway kid, rejoice your truth

In the religion of the insecure, I must be myself, respect my youth

A different lover is not a sin, believe capital H-I-M (hey, hey, hey)

I love my life, I love this record, and

Mi amore vole fe, yah (same DNA)

I'm beautiful in my way 'cause God makes no mistakes

I'm on the right track, baby, I was born this way

Don't hide yourself in regret, just love yourself, and you're set

I'm on the right track, baby, I was born this way

Ooh, there ain't no other way, baby, I was born this way

Baby, I was born this way (born this way)

Ooh, there ain't no other way, baby, I was born this way

I'm on the right track, baby, I was born this way

Don't be a drag, just be a queen

Whether you're broke or evergreen

You're Black, white, beige, chola descent

You're Lebanese, you're Orient'

Whether life's disabilities left you outcast, bullied, or teased

Rejoice and love yourself today

'Cause, baby, you were born this way

No matter gay, straight, or bi', lesbian, transgender life

I'm on the right track, baby, I was born to survive

No matter Black, white or beige, chola, or Orient' made

I'm on the right track, baby, I was born to be brave

I'm beautiful in my way 'cause God makes no mistakes

I'm on the right track, baby, I was born this way

Don't hide yourself in regret, just love yourself, and you're set

I'm on the right track, baby, I was born this way, yeah

“You Need To Calm Down” finds Taylor Swift addressing various detractors who post hurtful comments online, following themes of self-love and being true to one’s identity.

In the second verse, Swift continues to show her support for the LGBTQ+ community, following a June 2019 letter to Senator Lamar Alexander, as well as a petition she created to fight for legal equality among all people, regardless of sexuality or gender.

https://youtu.be/Dkk9gvTmCXY

You need to calm down

You are somebody that I don't know

But you're taking shots at me like it's Patrón

And I'm just like "Damn, it's 7:00 a.m."

Say it in the street, that's a knock-out

But you say it in a Tweet, that's a cop-out

And I'm just like, "Hey, are you okay?"

And I ain't trying to mess with your self-expression

But I've learned the lesson that stressin'

And obsessin' 'bout somebody else is no fun

And snakes and stones never broke my bones so

So, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh

You need to calm down

You're being too loud

And I'm just like oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh (oh)

You need to just stop

Like, can you just not step on my gown?

You need to calm down

You are somebody that we don't know

But you're coming at my friends like a missile

Why are you mad?

When you could be GLAAD? (You could be GLAAD)

Sunshine on the street at the parade

But you would rather be in the dark ages

Making that sign, must've taken all night

You just need to take several seats and then try to restore the peace

And control your urges to scream about all the people you hate

'Cause shade never made anybody less gay so

So, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh

You need to calm down

You're being too loud

And I'm just like oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh (oh)

You need to just stop

Like, can you just not step on his gown?

You need to calm down

And we see you over there on the internet

Comparing all the girls who are killing it

But we figured you out

We all know now, we all got crowns

You need to calm down

Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh

You need to calm down (you need to calm down)

You're being too loud (you're being too loud)

And I'm just like oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh (oh)

You need to just stop (can you stop?)

Like, can you just not step on our gowns?

You need to calm down

Happy Pride Month 🤗🏳️‍🌈

Sharing song by a fabulous trans artist, Vivek Shraya, who I came across while researching for the ITDoV thread with Shibz and Lizzie. (Thank you Lizzie, for bringing her to my notice (: )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zA6PgbazQw

The thread is gorgeous and so informative, Neha ❤️