I thought the editorial seven years ago that explicitly said "We're on the side of LGBT+ people" would have made it clear that...you know, we're on the side of LGBT+ people.
Of course we are. Between people who just want to be themselves (but happen to be different, whether over orientation, identity, race, culture, etc), and people who want the existence of others hidden or erased where they don't have to acknowledge it, there is no choice for us.
More than that, the Pokémon community in general, and Bulbagarden in particular, don't exist as we know them without the contribution of LGBT+ people. At the Pokémon level, that would be most notably Maddie Blaustein, the first voice actress for Meowth, who was a transgender woman (transgender people are also referenced in Pokémon X and Y, via a trainer in the Battle Chateau who unquestionably imply being a transgender woman, so your notion that the franchise is purely binary about gender is...not all that true). Here on Bulbagarden, that would be me, chief of staff, founding member of this version of Bulbagarden and among its longest-serving staff members (and someone who carried the site on their back a long, long time) - and also a transgender woman (and not the only one on staff). It would be Kogoro, the other chief of staff, who has been managing Bulbapedia for half a decade (and who has been working on the site much longer), who recently married her girlfriend. That would be dozens of other staff member throughout the history of Bulbagarden who have been and are gay, lesbian, bi, trans, ace, or elsewhere in the diversity spectrum.
We're proud of Bulbagarden's diversity, and the importance that diversity has played in building the site we have today. We celebrate it. We will not hide that diversity, or shy away from it. We will champion it in the Pokémon community and beyond at every chance. And if children ask question (keeping in mind that you need to be thirteen or older to legally register on these forums), we'll be happy to answer them.
None of which means you need to stop being heterosexual. The banner say "be yourself". The message here isn't "don't be heterosexual". The message is "no one should be obliged to be something they are not". So if you feel you are heterosexual, if you're (presumably) attracted exclusively to women, all the banner means is..."be heterosexual". That's what you are, so that's what being yourself means. But if you - or anyone else - is forcing themselves to be heterosexual because they feel they have to, THEN the message is...you don't have to be. It's okay to NOT be straight.
If that message makes you feel threatened...I'm afraid there is nothing I can do to help you.
(The skin stays, obviously).
Of course we are. Between people who just want to be themselves (but happen to be different, whether over orientation, identity, race, culture, etc), and people who want the existence of others hidden or erased where they don't have to acknowledge it, there is no choice for us.
More than that, the Pokémon community in general, and Bulbagarden in particular, don't exist as we know them without the contribution of LGBT+ people. At the Pokémon level, that would be most notably Maddie Blaustein, the first voice actress for Meowth, who was a transgender woman (transgender people are also referenced in Pokémon X and Y, via a trainer in the Battle Chateau who unquestionably imply being a transgender woman, so your notion that the franchise is purely binary about gender is...not all that true). Here on Bulbagarden, that would be me, chief of staff, founding member of this version of Bulbagarden and among its longest-serving staff members (and someone who carried the site on their back a long, long time) - and also a transgender woman (and not the only one on staff). It would be Kogoro, the other chief of staff, who has been managing Bulbapedia for half a decade (and who has been working on the site much longer), who recently married her girlfriend. That would be dozens of other staff member throughout the history of Bulbagarden who have been and are gay, lesbian, bi, trans, ace, or elsewhere in the diversity spectrum.
We're proud of Bulbagarden's diversity, and the importance that diversity has played in building the site we have today. We celebrate it. We will not hide that diversity, or shy away from it. We will champion it in the Pokémon community and beyond at every chance. And if children ask question (keeping in mind that you need to be thirteen or older to legally register on these forums), we'll be happy to answer them.
None of which means you need to stop being heterosexual. The banner say "be yourself". The message here isn't "don't be heterosexual". The message is "no one should be obliged to be something they are not". So if you feel you are heterosexual, if you're (presumably) attracted exclusively to women, all the banner means is..."be heterosexual". That's what you are, so that's what being yourself means. But if you - or anyone else - is forcing themselves to be heterosexual because they feel they have to, THEN the message is...you don't have to be. It's okay to NOT be straight.
If that message makes you feel threatened...I'm afraid there is nothing I can do to help you.
(The skin stays, obviously).