rainbow droppings

I wrote this a while back, but the same subject was brought to light again when someone commented on the pin in my car. Tereasa gave it to me a while back, and it says "Rainbows make me happy." It's been hooked to my rearview mirror ever since. The other day, I drove a coworker home, and he commented on it and said, "Huh. Guess you swing on the other side of the fence." I started to get defensive, but instead I was only saddened because a symbol that used to mean cheerfulness, happiness, good luck and all sorts of other (happy) things now can only represent homosexuality. More on this in a minute.

But now...time for a story.

Up Til Dawn was an annual fundraiser for St. Judes, and the theme was cartoons. My DG sisters and I decided to use the Care Bears as our theme, replete with fuzzy ears and the little red hearts pinned to our pants. In addition, each of us picked our representative Bear, which we made into iron-on transfers for our t-shirts. Being that pink is one of my favorite colors and I am usually the optimistic one, I chose Cheer Bear-the one with the rainbow across its belly.

...thus begins the rainbow ordeal...

Since Up Til Dawn, the bears that we have chosen have become our mascots of sorts. I went to Wal-Mart in search of the Care Bear Cousins, in particular Playful Heart Monkey, for Tereasa. Upon which time I noticed that there were no Cheer Bears. Every other Care Bear, as well as Care Bear Cousin, as well as several newly invented Care Bears, were on display. All except the one sporting a rainbow. So I asked an employee. Who proceeded to inform me that Cheer Bear was only sold in sets containing other Care Bears, because of its inherant gay-pride symbol.

Hold up. As most of you already know, I have nothing against anyone with same-sex tendencies. I have no homophobia. (If I did, I would lose most of my friends). But I have issues with the idea of not selling a children's toy because of its "homosexual overtones" Excuse me? I seem to recall Kermit the Frog singing about rainbows. There was even an entire cartoon/toy theme devoted to rainbows (Rainbow Brite?).

Rainbows are a sign of hope, a sign of promise, a sign of good fortune, a sign of pushing forward until you find your pot of gold at the end. I have no problem with the gay/lesbian community using the aforementioned symbol. As a matter of fact, I find it fitting- cheerful, happy, encompassing all colors. But I do have a problem with anyone who now assumes, merely because I like rainbows, that I must be homosexual. So what have I done about this problem? Rather than hide my rainbows in the closet, I flaunt them. Rainbow bracelets? Got 'em. Rainbow Care Bear? Got it. I'll just keep on walking with my rainbow flip-flops. (Kudos, by the way, to Old Navy, who doesn't shy away from my favorite colorful signs of cheer, merely because someone might get the wrong idea...

I'll get off of the soapbox now.

Skittles, anyone?