The pendulum swingeth

This declining acceptance of social and sexual deviance is not surprising. The pendulum always swings back eventually.

A new study suggests that young Americans are becoming less comfortable around LGBTQ people. The data indicates either an uptick in bigotry or a blowback against “extremism” in the gay community – depending on whom you ask. The number of Americans in the 18-to-34 bracket who are comfortable interacting with LGBTQ people fell from 53{9ac076056c033cb7ea9c419f2d9e88bca336d6b835d3285ead4a08b0d3f45a8d} in 2017 to 45{9ac076056c033cb7ea9c419f2d9e88bca336d6b835d3285ead4a08b0d3f45a8d} in 2018, according to the annual Accelerating Acceptance report. That figure is down from 63{9ac076056c033cb7ea9c419f2d9e88bca336d6b835d3285ead4a08b0d3f45a8d} in 2016.

The findings raise serious questions about the common conception that young people are more progressive and tolerant than older generations, John Gerzema, CEO of The Harris Poll, which conducted the study on behalf of LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD, said.

By the time the next round of wars end, deviancy will be illegal and quite possibly even a capital offense in many jurisdictions. This is not the first time in history that deviancy has been legal and widely accepted. It won’t be the last. But it’s clear that what for lack of a better term one might as well call Peak Gay has already passed.

In the meantime, the converged continue to celebrate deviancy. Nothing spells commitment to success like driving away your customers. After all, what is the central purpose of a bank, if not to actively support deviant behavior?

Barclays tweeted to unhappy customers: ‘While homophobia, biphobia and transphobia still exists in the UK, we’ll continue to actively support Pride.