ive seen some argument over whether gay men hijacking the phrase #ProudBoys is useful, or worth it, or just an empty gesture. I can understand the arguments of people who are against it, but I'm for it for a couple different reasons. (1/13)

Reason 1 is simple: culturejamming is an extremely effective tactic the left needs to get better at. allowing fascists to control their terminology only helps them. Stealing it from them for our own use makes it harder for them to gain footholds.

Reason 2 is more personal (2/13)

have oyu heard of Howard Ashman? you should have

he, along with Alan Menken, wrote most the songs for the first three movies in the 90s Disney renaissance, and had significant creative control, essentially defining the sound and tone of that entire era of Disney Films (3/13)

Ashman was a Gay man, and Jewish too, and you can feel it in all of his works, both with Disney and his previous independent projects like Little Shop of Horrors. There is a sense of alienation, loneliness, and longing for a better life in much of his music (4/13)

Ashman died from HIV/AIDS not long after the first screening of Beauty and the Beast. The staff included this dedication to him in the movie. (5/13)

He died midway into the production of Aladdin, but not before writing a couple of songs for it, including favorites like "Friend Like Me" and "Prince Ali". A couple of them however, did not make the cut.

One of them was called "Proud of Your Boy" (6/13)

As the staff talk about in the previous video, the song was very personal to Ashman, but it was connected to the character of Aladdin's mother, who was cut from the movie, and as such, the song had to be cut too. It was very painful for them to take out, but they had to (7/13)

I think it's a beautiful song, and its removal is enough of a tragedy on its own, but what's happened to it in recent years is a whole other level of awful.

As you may have guessed, the violent fascist org who call themselves "Proud Boys" are directly named after it (8/13)

You see, Gavin McInnes,founder of said fascist group, HATES that song. He described it as "fake, humble, and self-serving" and "the most annoying song in the world." It became a running joke on his podcast that he would play it purely to make fun of it. Its a joke to him. (9/13)

Of course he wouldnt like it, as it doesnt exude the kind of machismo he and his fashy ilk promote. The joke became so ubiquitous though, that they decided to name themselves after it, once again, as a joke. As mockery (10/13)

The so-called "Proud Boys" named themselves such to make a mockery of a sincere and personal song written by a Gay, Jewish victim of HIV/AIDS, and every time i see that name associated with them, it fills me with a rage i cannot express properly in words (11/13)

So when i see gay men reclaim the name #ProudBoys, it feels cleansing. The name has been so removed from its original context, and it feels meaningful to see it being taken back. Even if not everyone knows this history, Its not just random. Its a real reclamation. (12/13)

Will it stop fascists from existing and organizing? No. But it sows confusion in their ranks and shows them we won't play by their book. And it honors the memory of a great gay icon and takes back his legacy.

I think that's worth it. (13/13)