Be gay do

"Be gay do crime" is a catchphrase often evoked during Pride Month by LGBTQ+ people, allies and activists alike. While the phrase predates meme culture as we know it, its repetition in hugely popular memes makes it worthy of analysis through a memetic lens. Available for preorder. Packed with daily snapshots of radical queer history, this book celebrates the bold, the brave, and the beautifully defiant moments that have shaped the fight for justice. Ever wonder why the Stonewall protests became an uprising or what the earliest acts of queer resistance looked like?

Ah, yes: “Be Gay, Do Crimes,” the rallying cry of a generation. But how did this slogan (and sentiment) come to be? The history is weirder (and shorter!) than you might expect. In September of , Instagram user @absentobject posted a photo of some graffiti they’d seen in France. Confirmed , While the phrase existed prior to its appearance online, the earliest known reference was posted by Instagram [1] user absentobject on September 15th, The post features the words "Be Gay.

Far as I know, it dates back to an old comic in a cartoon that says "be gay, do crime" and I know no other context other than it was from the time way back when, when gay was often used to describe happiness. For Quincy Brinker, who, by disrupting the talk of yet another washed-up academic trying to write Marsha and Sylvia out of Stonewall, reminded us that not even the dead will be safe if our enemy is victorious. For Feral Pines, last seen by some of her friends throwing rocks at police, by others in an assembly plotting psychic warfare against the fascists, and by others dancing and then defacing some fascist insignia in the moments before her death. For Chris Chitty, who would surely use this opportunity to insult the insulters while transmitting some brilliant insight about where we have been and where we are going.

Be Gay Do Crime is a catchphrase and protest slogan used by activists, members and allies of the LGBTQIA+ community, promoting freedom from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or being non-cisgender. We aim to break boundaries, think outside of binaries and build bridges within our communities and beyond. Stay connected, and tell a friend. Be Gay, Do Crimes!