It’s the last monday of June, which also means the last monday of Pride month and who better than our most beloved short ass bi king to end this series – you thought I was done waving my flags yet? Think again. There’s 11 more months in the year too so why should I ever stop.
ANYWAYS.
Greenday is part of my longest love stories – musically speaking. Hell, probably even humanly speaking if I’m being honest. One of the constants in my life for the past… Oh shit, if I have to count more than 25 years It’s probably not a good sign for my arthritis.
Long story short – I love these boys, and as far as memory serves – my back just cracked from moving too fast I swear – they were my first real introduction to punk rock, and probably spurred my shit taste in music for decades to come. Thank fuck.
But perhaps more importantly, they were the first real lesson music taught me on how you can turn a lot of crap into something good.
Say anger? Turn up the amps and you can bring joy to a multitude thanks to it. Grief? Write a prayer that anyone who needs it can sing in the dead of the night. Loneliness? You’re never truly alone when you’ve got the company of someone’s words that mirror your own so well. Insecurity, lack of confidence, figuring out where you’re at on a spectrum, or simply a lot of rage that needs to be released – Greenday were there to turn it into something better and made a lot, well easier. And I guess their legacy goes on to this day.
You can be a basket case, you can feel like you don’t belong, in the world or you’re own body. You’re too short, too fat, too insecure, too loud with that flaming urge to shout into the void everything that is wrong in this world – but nothing ever prevents you from being all this and shine a bright light nonetheless.
This band has truly been part of those pivotal ones to show me that you can turn the pain, the hurt, the rage into love. Joy. Happiness.
A deafening epiphany shouting through those songs and echoing against the crap posters on my wall with a clear message : Be you. Feel. Feel all of it and use it for good.
And you know who loves to be himself and use it for good? That little dude – don’t be mad Billie, we tiny people are the cutest anyway. You know what else Billie claims to love? Being a freaking bi icon and he has no problems giving us a reminder of it once in a while, like let’s say dropping a freaking explicit bi anthem out of the blue?
Do you wanna be my girlfriend?
Do you wanna be my boyfriend?
Even the most dedicated haters will have a hard time proving this song is just about roommates for sure.
It’s such an easy tune to listen to and it might have been released in the dead of winter but the first time I heard it it definitely sounded like a summer anthem. It feels like the simple joys of love and those butterflies in your stomach – but also like not having a care in the world, and that’s a pretty neat feeling when you get to that catchy chorus. Because that’s how this should feel too – easy, carefree – whoever you love.
Pristine performance of the song, with our favorite icon looking dapper and all made even better with bi lightning – if you know you know. If you don’t know, just think about pretty colors and the freedom of not having to choose can bring.
Both is good.
Billie said so.
Ha. I should probably shut the hell up now and just let you enjoy the good vibes Bobby Sox will bring you but as I was saying earlier, this post closes up this Pride month series and I’d like to add a few more words.
Truth is, do I really care who you wanna bang to like your music? Honestly, not so much – but I’m just glad we’re finally (seemingly) living in a time when who you wanna bang is not a reason to DISLIKE your music. Freedom to express your feelings, freedom to write songs about the love you feel, freedom to be you, just you, without having to second guess what people might think writing down that pronoun. That’s what I care about. Representation matters, yes – but normalization even more in a sense. I hope to see the day people won’t stop to double check that lyric just because, oh are they?
And I think we’re getting closer, I’m not sure how much distance remains, but it does feel like it’s getting closer. Music is a great communicator and a powerful tool to educate people, make them challenge what they think they know. But it takes time. So in the meantime, we can all do our part to promote love, acceptance and respect. Like this little Pride series I chose to do this year – not because I care who my favs wanna bang, but because some out there still do. And it’s a shit thought.
It’s not just about sexuality or preferences, it’s about respect. It’s about respecting an artist, respecting a person for who they are – and Greenday taught me well on that – and not forgetting all the Freddie Mercury or David Bowie that were denied that simple thing : respect of who they were. So yeah, I’ll never not celebrate how far we came and how great it is to see a little punkarse happily married to a woman claim loud and clear that being a bi icon is fucking cool. And dropping hit songs to go with it.
Let’s focus on that feeling that sums it all up for now then.
Putting a lot on your shoulders today Billie, but you’re right, it’s fucking cool indeed.
