Pride Classic Rainbow Flag in the wind

Tweets are Cheap, Talking is Hard

Karin Kallmaker LIFE + STYLE

Pride Flag in the wind

The past few weeks have been full of fierce debate about #BuryYourGays. Disposable people in art are too often disposable people in real life. I can’t unsee the tragic irony.

Are writers responsible for acts of violence? No. Did they cause the #PulseMassacre? No. But when they trope-bury their queers, people of color, disabled people, immigrants and other marginalized groups of people, they are painting on a dangerous canvas in a country full of guns in the hands of people full of righteous hate.

Calling out politicians and businesses who champion discrimination and spew their fancy hate is easy and necessary. For example, Donald Trump is a #racistasshat inciting #hateandviolence against everybody who doesn’t support him. There that was easy.

It’s harder to have a complex and nuanced conversation about art and responsibility, but it is one we need to continue.

Not to distract from the fact that a violent person already known to the FBI apparently kept his gun license and bought two guns this week. Let’s talk more about ISIS and tweet out “reap what you sow” (Sure, that tweet by the Lt. Gov of Texas wasn’t in response.) Let’s not talk about #guncontrol.

Let’s take off our shoes at the airport but not even try to keep weapons of mass killing away from violent people.