The event ‘may look weird,’ says a priestess of Kanayama Shrine, but its origins and purpose point to a deeper meaning.
“It’s one of the only shrines that I’ve seen that have the rainbow and the transgender flag in their official shrine Twitter, and you don’t really see that … especially for Japanese businesses so proudly saying, ‘We support these groups, you’re welcome, everyone’s welcome,’” says Lovejoy. “It’s great because you also see children, adults, families — it’s for everyone.”
I want to visit the family friendly, queer accepting penis festival!
That is so cool.
I found out they donate all donations during the festival to HIV/AIDS research as well.
Call me cynical, but I assume such corporate “support” comes from the same places that made women, and - to a lesser extent - PoC “welcome”: the realization they were leaving money on the table by excluding them. They still aren’t fully welcome (women are doing noticeably better than PoC in the corporate boardrooms, but they’re both still marginalized), but their dollars sure are.
This is notably a shrine not a corporation. They do rely on donations, but Japan isn’t exactly the most tolerant of LGBT people’s so that could harm them more than help them with getting donations.
Also apparently all donations received during this festival go towards HIV research.
That’s good to know - thank you.
My comment was specifically referring to the quote from the comment above mine, however.
I agree with your stance here; Businesses supporting queer values does smack of good pr, but if they want to get pr by materially supporting victims of disease, that’s okay in my book.
I went to Tokyo Gay Pride. First of all it is called Rainbow Pride, because maybe Gay is to risky. Secondly, it was weirdly full of corporate sponsored group marching and you could not enter the march if you had not registered with some group in advance. But that’s better than nothing I guess.
point to a deeper meaning
On a scale of tip to balls, how deep we talking?
Just a bit past the head.
It’s cool seeing body parts being (occasionally) less taboo in non Abrahamic cultures.
The abrahamic religions have done literally incalculable damage to humanity
Humans are good at using religions to do damage. You can find terrible things from Hinduism and Buddhism too, for example.
I have a penis festival at least once a day
They one day we all come together as dickheads.
