Be gay do crime

"Be gay do crime" is a catchphrase often evoked during Pride Month by LGBTQ+ people, allies and activists alike. While the phrase predates meme culture as we know it, its repetition in hugely popular memes makes it worthy of analysis through a memetic lens.

Ah, yes: “Be Gay, Do Crimes,” the rallying cry of a generation. But how did this slogan (and sentiment) come to be? The history is weirder (and shorter!) than you might expect. In September of , Instagram user @absentobject posted a photo of some graffiti they’d seen in France.

Far as I know, it dates back to an old comic in a cartoon that says "be gay, do crime" and I know no other context other than it was from the time way back when, when gay was often used to describe happiness.

The slogan "Be gay, do crime" is an anti-capitalistic and anti-authoritarian statement, implying that crime and incivility may be necessary to earn equal rights given the criminalization of homosexuality around the world and that the Stonewall uprising was a riot.

Where Does 'Be Gay Do Crime' Come From? The earliest instance of the phrase "Be gay do crime" going viral on the modern internet can be traced to an Instagram post from that showed the line spray painted onto a wall in Marseille, France. The image went on to be referenced in reposted on Twitter, Tumblr and Reddit in the years following the initial post, serving as an example of a relevant.

This call-and-answer format represents the subtle but important change in queer online discourse from to While ’s “be gay, do crimes” was enough of a statement in and of itself to ride on shock value, ’s “Stonewall was a riot” represents a new desire to reclaim queer narratives.

“Be Gay Do Crime is a catchphrase and protest slogan used by activists, members and allies of the LGBTQIA+ community, promoting freedom from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or being non-cisgender.”.

Be Gay Do Crime is a catchphrase and protest slogan used by activists, members and allies of the LGBTQIA+ community, promoting freedom from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or being non-cisgender.