I think the other commenters nailed my thoughts, so I'd just add that all of this nonsense is cyclical. The culture changes, the olds backlash, the youngs get angry, the situation reaches some kind of equilibrium, the olds check out, the youngs get old, and the cycle repeats.
The transphobia and LGBTQ+ reactionary backlash is the same as the gay awakening from a few decades back. Remember how angry some people were when gay marriage passed? A decade later nobody cared. Some gay people are so comfortable now they're leading the transphobic charge. In a decade nobody will care about this either, and a certain subset of people (of all kinds) will get big mad about something else.
Progress is a like a sine wave at a ten degree angle. It goes up, it comes back down, but it ultimately always goes up.
Awesome article, thanks for writing it. I agree with everything you said, but I also think we should continue to praise, criticize, define, and delimit the groups of new humans that are coming of age. I just think we need to try harder when we do, like pay closer attention, project less, try to see the big picture. It's natural for us to want to, and in some ways it's kind of nice to turn eighteen and walk into this already-ongoing conversation about you. I guess, as long as the conversation isn't just completely toxic.
Every generation is different. Every generation is the same. And there are many other qualities that display the remarkable diversity and unity of the human race. "Cutting some slack" is good advice or as my generation sang, "all you need is love."
I think the other commenters nailed my thoughts, so I'd just add that all of this nonsense is cyclical. The culture changes, the olds backlash, the youngs get angry, the situation reaches some kind of equilibrium, the olds check out, the youngs get old, and the cycle repeats.
The transphobia and LGBTQ+ reactionary backlash is the same as the gay awakening from a few decades back. Remember how angry some people were when gay marriage passed? A decade later nobody cared. Some gay people are so comfortable now they're leading the transphobic charge. In a decade nobody will care about this either, and a certain subset of people (of all kinds) will get big mad about something else.
Progress is a like a sine wave at a ten degree angle. It goes up, it comes back down, but it ultimately always goes up.
I am every Gen X stereotype rolled up into one (cynical) little ball.
Whatever, dude.(😉😂)
Just re-read this and loved this comment.
Awesome article, thanks for writing it. I agree with everything you said, but I also think we should continue to praise, criticize, define, and delimit the groups of new humans that are coming of age. I just think we need to try harder when we do, like pay closer attention, project less, try to see the big picture. It's natural for us to want to, and in some ways it's kind of nice to turn eighteen and walk into this already-ongoing conversation about you. I guess, as long as the conversation isn't just completely toxic.
Love your positive outlook on it, Brad. You're right: trying harder would make this type of conversation (and many others) much more productive.
Every generation is different. Every generation is the same. And there are many other qualities that display the remarkable diversity and unity of the human race. "Cutting some slack" is good advice or as my generation sang, "all you need is love."
…And the following horn part automatically starts up in my head.