Blue Jeans for Gays Day was an event which originated back in 1973 at the
University of Illinois, USA. Its purpose at that time was to,
"Determine how many gays are on campus and let forgetful non-gays caught in
blue jeans feel the oppression suffered daily by gays".
Originally a celebration of being gay ( and still going strong after so many
years ), it became a focus for those who believed in non-discrimination, who
were happy to wear their blue jeans in support of gays and lesbians, although
they had an entirely heterosexual orientation.
The message, "We're all the same", and, "You can't judge a book by its cover",
although perhaps less powerful than the American original, was still a strong
one.
To many, the campaign was deemed senseless; "But everyone wears jeans !", being
the most commonly uttered sentiment, somewhat missing the point entirely. To
others, it was just a laugh. A lack of motivation, or change of clothing, lead
many to wearing their jeans as normal, unaware of what they were
unintentionally supporting,
what the significance was, and often without even realising they were playing
their part in an event happening all around them.
The, "We're proud to be gay and lesbians, and wear our blue jeans to say so",
message may have been watered down, as others retorted, "And I'm not gay or
lesbian, but I wear blue jeans too", but it brought a stability and sensibility
to the debate. Unlike the Women's Rights movement, which until recently has been
criticised for being too pro-active about itself, excessively preaching positive
discrimination, and attempting to place women on a higher footing than men,
the sexual orientation issue quickly resolved itself into a happy equilibrium,
with gays and lesbians gaining respect and equality, and, generally, being
treated as equal to, but not more so than, heterosexuals.
Blue Jeans for Gays Day probably looked, and still does from some angles, like a
non-event, which never had any real effect, but it undoubtedly played its part
in forming the society we see around us today.
I was therefore intrigued to see the Jeans for Genes Day campaign
start-up.
Was this some revival of the Gay and Lesbian Rights issue ? As
Ron Davies MP had put it, following an incident
wrapped-up in allegations of homosexuality, "We are all different. We are all
products of our genes and upbringing".
Had the claim that genetics determined a persons sexual orientation been
seized upon, and become the focus of a revived campaign ?
No; the truth is entirely different.
Jeans for Genes is a campaign which has nothing to do with homosexuality,
rights or anything like that. It is a campaign to raise funds for charities
involved in the study of genetic defects and to provide support for families
of those born with genetic defects.
The link between Blue Jeans for Gays Day and Jeans for Genes Day is entirely
non-existent, except in misunderstanding, and it is actually more akin to a
Dress Down for Charity Day.
I can see where the tag-line, Jeans for Genes, came from, and it's quite
catchy, but its choice does lead to some confusion. It's not about sexual
orientation rights, and it's not a campaign which uses the, "We're all the
same", message, if it were imagined to be a campaign for equality of those
who suffer disability or discrimination through genetic disorders.
It is of course a worthy cause. Unless you don't believe in genetic research,
believing doctors and researchers shouldn't be playing God, shouldn't be
involved in animal experimentation, or have any other ethical objections to
that field of study.
There's also the rather delicious irony in this tale of denim fashion, that if
sexual orientation is a matter
of genetics, and many still appear to see homosexuality as a 'defect', then it
is foreseeable that there may be genetic research undertaken to correct the
genes which creates those gays and lesbians - Jeans Against Blue Jeans
anyone ?
My opinion is that the whole Jeans for Genes campaign has wrapped itself up in
a blaze of celebrity sponsorship, big-business promotion, and that most people
who see the posters advertising the campaign see it only as a plea to, "Think
of the children !", and know little of what the money raised is being used
for.
I've always thought that Dress Down for Charity Days are rather
offensive, playing upon peoples' desires to break away from the shackles of
conformity placed upon them by employers, and effectively amount to little more
than blackmail; if you donate to our cause, your bosses won't be able to stop
you wearing what you want to work, and if they do, you can demonise them as much
as you want.
Employers are forced to capitulate into allowing their staff to do what they
demand, and workers are giving to a cause, not so much because they believe
in it, but because they can force their companies to do something they would
never otherwise allow.
Rather than changing the face of society, which one would hope the charity
organising the campaign is planning to do, those donating are doing little more
than throwing some cash in a collection bucket for their own, transient,
benefit.
And, at the very least, such Dress Down campaigns re-enforces the
big business stereotypical view that jeans, or anything other than almost formal
dress styles, are unsuitable for working in.
Where the message to wear blue jeans was used to liberate an entire group of
society, it now stands as an icon as to just how repressed we all are.
The Jeans for Genes Campaign
Full details of the Jeans for Genes Campaign in the the UK can be found at
www.jeansforgenes.org.uk
