The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus (SFGMC):'A Message From the Gay Community'
https://www.youtube.com/embed/ArOQF4kadHA
Comment: the song is clearly intended as a jibe, criticising homophobia directed toward the LGBTQIA+ community. In this sense, the song functions a challenge to those who are intolerant of such perspectives. Importantly, this is cued through a combination of the clip's lyrics and performances. For example, the extended pause here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArOQF4kadHA&t=34s cues a shift in meaning - from lyrics, which are intended to be interpreted on face-value (as criticism of such bigoted perspectives) - to something, which functions more as a parody of such perspectives/archetypes. Mention of the word 'agenda' for example - signals a type of 'paternalism',https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/paternalism/ which is a common undercurrent to conspiratorial thinking (that everything is an act of a group of 'malevolent overseers' whose actions are beyond the intervention/control of the 'everyday' individuals i.e. honest and authentic 'commoners/plebs' like us) such a the infamous 'New World Order' conspiracy theory https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_World_Order_conspiracy_theory and conspiratorial thinking as mentioned by Vickie Walton-James above. http://newpractices.co.uk/PostTruth/#t3MG8DLpoqo;TRA1 And so, the reference to 'agenda' here is clearly intended to be contemptuous of those who are unsympathetic to LGBTQIA+ people. Metaphorically, such framing strongly implies a dichotomous relationship between an archetypical everywo/man and a so-called 'cultural elite' - where in this case, the SFGMC choir become cast as 'elites' with their critics thereby designated as 'honest everywo/man'. Context: "In the song, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus sing: 'You think that we’ll corrupt your kids if our agenda goes unchecked… Funny, just this once, you’re correct.' Over the course of the four-and-a-half-minute song, the gay men hilariously joke about making children 'tolerant and fair', adding that they’re going to do it 'bit by bit, quietly and subtly'. The far-right quickly latched onto the song, and individual members have faced 48 hours of relentless abuse, according to the group’s executive director Chris Verdugo. ... One Twitter user gained widespread traction on social media when they tweeted claiming that many members of the chorus are registered sex offenders. ... 'They have taken the lyrics out of context to support a narrative that suits their intolerant and hateful needs.' It is obvious the tongue-in-cheek humour is lost on many" (Kelleher, P., 2021). Criticism: A re-edited version of this entitled "We'll Convert Your Children" was shared by The Daily Caller https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Daily_Caller website: https://www.youtube.com/embed/YW6p6z7yYlY?start=0&end=65 It's clear through their framing of the clip (name choice, commentary foregrounded in their on-screen text etc.) that the version is intended as an incitement - whose weaponisation of selective elements (shots, lyrics), seeks to trigger an affective, panic response for those who watch it. In appealing to the confirmation bias https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias of those who are critical of LGBTQIA+ people, the version can be understood as a case (example) of a dogma, which has come to be known as 'anti-gender ideology' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-gender_movement Roman Kuhar outlines this phenomenon in his conference, keynote speech here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00oZzt_xlqQ&t=1096s Further: Such incitements can cause what's known as a 'amygdala hijack' i.e. "the amygdala hijack can disrupt the normal functioning of the prefrontal cortex, leading to impulsive and suboptimal decision-making" (Orji, L. and U. Ita, 2024). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amygdala_hijack Bibliography: Kelleher, P. (2021, July 9). "San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus dog-piled with death threats by QAnon conspiracy theorists". PinkNews https://www.thepinknews.com/2021/07/09/san-francisco-gay-mens-chorus/ Kuhar, R. (2022, 18 October 2022). 'Unpacking reasons for the success of the anti-gender movement' GEARING-Roles: 'The journey towards institutional change: transforming gender roles in the academia', Brussels. https://gearingroles.eu/gr-final-conference/ Orji, L. and U. Ita (2024). "Amygdala Hijack : Contemporary Insights into Causes, Correlates and Consequences." African Journal of Health, Nursing and Midwifery 7: 102–111.
