I Kissed a Girl Just to Cause a Stir

Since when have straight women kissing helped queer rights?

At least three of my friends have linked me to this story, about two straight women who kissed in front of a crowd of anti-marriage equality protestors in Marseille, France. It was cute at first, but after giving it some thought, I’m not a fan.

Why did they kiss? Why couldn’t they choose some other form of counter-protest? It seems like they chose this gesture because affection between members of the same gender is still inherently controversial. To be honest, it almost reminds me of the sort of straight girl kissing you’d see in a frat house, the kind that Katy Perry sang about.

In trying to show their support for queer rights, these women have sensationalized queerness. Take that, they seem to be telling the protestors, because you’re going to think this is so gross. That’s not radical, that’s appropriative.

Would I feel differently if it was two queer women kissing? Probably. It’s different when it’s your own identity that you’re defending. It’s different when kissing the person you love is something you’ve been harassed about. Queer people who kiss as a form of confrontation are taking something that they are frequently shamed for and announcing their refusal to feel bad about it. Straight women who kiss end up in music videos.

So thanks, straight women, but that’s enough from you.