mdrejhon 8 #1 May 5, 2010 POPS? Couch Freaks? Toad Suckers? Muff Brothers? NOPE! It's the RAINBOW SKYDIVERS! We've purchased OUR OWN fraternity banner This photo shows the banner put up at Skydive Perris during the big way camp. Photo of the banner at Perris and four of us. Just 4 out of the 180 Rainbow Skydivers in our Facebook group, though. Though 3 others Rainbow Skydivers visited too, easily finding our corner to say hello! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
piisfish 136 #3 May 5, 2010 Quote Which one is you? mark is the canadian one scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Squeak 17 #4 May 5, 2010 Looks just like our National Flag for Australia You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky) My Life ROCKS! How's yours doing? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #5 May 5, 2010 QuotePOPS? Couch Freaks? Toad Suckers? Muff Brothers? NOPE! It's the RAINBOW SKYDIVERS! How come you don't just call yourselves outright what you actually are: "HOMOSEXUAL SKYDIVERS"? Why come up with the whole "Rainbow" thing to fool people about what kind of group you really are? Obviously you're not afraid to be known for what you are, nor should you be, so why disguise it? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skinnay 0 #6 May 5, 2010 QuoteQuotePOPS? Couch Freaks? Toad Suckers? Muff Brothers? NOPE! It's the RAINBOW SKYDIVERS! How come you don't just call yourselves outright what you actually are: "HOMOSEXUAL SKYDIVERS"? Why come up with the whole "Rainbow" thing to fool people about what kind of group you really are? Obviously you're not afraid to be known for what you are, nor should you be, so why disguise it? I'm not exactly sure where the "disguise" is. lol Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 34 #7 May 5, 2010 Quote Quote POPS? Couch Freaks? Toad Suckers? Muff Brothers? NOPE! It's the RAINBOW SKYDIVERS! How come you don't just call yourselves outright what you actually are: "HOMOSEXUAL SKYDIVERS"? Why come up with the whole "Rainbow" thing to fool people about what kind of group you really are? Obviously you're not afraid to be known for what you are, nor should you be, so why disguise it? Dude... everybody knows the rainbow is the universal symbol for gays and lesbians. Come on... "Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jumpinguy 0 #8 May 5, 2010 Do you really need the flags to find each other? What happened to the whole Gay-DAR thing? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
regulator 0 #9 May 5, 2010 I think you can call you team whatever the hell you want but when you say 'fraternity' it makes me think you're affiliated with a college or university...but then I guess you could still be in college. If you are in college you look a bit old... If I had to figure out what college you'd be affiliated with I'd have to guess... WhatsamattaU? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mdrejhon 8 #10 May 5, 2010 QuoteHow come you don't just call yourselves outright what you actually are: "HOMOSEXUAL SKYDIVERS"?Buddy, this ain't Speaker Corner -- and we intend no harm. Everyone knows who we are. We have many straight supporters who love what we are doing! Our annual Rainbow Boogie is more than half attended by straight skydivers, who just love a good party with us, and they all know who we are well in advance of showing up. To address the question briefly: Rainbow Skydivers is a name that we all like, and even the straight jumpers, on average, like that name a lot. It's a great name that doesn't disguise us, in the majority of opinion (GLBT and straight included). Now back to tamer discussion. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyhi 24 #11 May 5, 2010 Quotemark is the canadian one Not enough hints. Didn't see anyone with a hockey helmet on, eating a donut, or drinking a beer.Shit happens. And it usually happens because of physics. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mdrejhon 8 #12 May 5, 2010 Quote If I had to figure out what college you'd be affiliated with I'd have to guess... WhatsamattaU? Although I accurately use word 'fraternity' to describe the banner (according to the Merriam-Webster, the Oxford, and Wiktionary), I couldn't find a better word. Perhaps "brotherhood"? Like the Muff Brothers, Couch Freaks, Team Awesome, etc. Some of them have their own equivalent fraternity banner... Quote Do you really need the flags to find each other? What happened to the whole Gay-DAR thing? Gaydar is useful, but we need to use good publicity techniques too. Rainbow Skydivers (aka skydivers who just happen to be GLBT), are spread thin and wide. We just pulled a few out of the area to show up, and 2 of them have actually made the decision to attend our Rainbow Boogie, after having visited our corner. I'm the guy who knows the most about the state of the gay skydiving world. I know 2 gay DZO's (it may even be your dropzone), over 10 gay AFFI's. I have come to discover that there are often small groups of Rainbow Skydivers at many dropzones, there are 6 at a Florida dropzone, several at a near-New York dropzone, even 3 at an Oklahoma dropzone. (Yes, Christians) etc. However, these known Rainbow Skydivers are less than one quarter of who's out there, and we need publicity to draw in the new potential boogie attendees too... According to the Facebook Group Wall, there's been a surge of new Rainbow Skydivers thanks to our promoting. And, we're harmless to the straight jumpers too. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mdrejhon 8 #13 May 5, 2010 QuoteQuotemark is the canadian one Not enough hints. Didn't see anyone with a hockey helmet on, eating a donut, or drinking a beer.Here is the Facebook name-tagged version of the photo. I am the one with most red in my jumpsuit. I am also known as Canada's first licensed born-deaf skydiver -- and I typically show up at big way events. (Don't worry, the banner will only be shown at mainly large dropzones where a group of us are present, and with the dropzone's permission. Perris even invited Rainbow Boogie to be hosted there, as did Chicago, and a few others.) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DiverMike 5 #14 May 5, 2010 QuoteDude... everybody knows the rainbow is the universal symbol for gays and lesbians. Come on... A rainbow was my favorite symbol growing up as a kid. About 20 years ago when I first saw a rainbow sticker on a car I thought, "Cool - I got to get me one of those". When I found out my favorite symbol had a new meaning I was a little disappointed. Not that there is anything wrong with that. For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mdrejhon 8 #15 May 5, 2010 QuoteWhen I found out my favorite symbol had a new meaning I was a little disappointed. Not that there is anything wrong with that.Ah yes, back more than twenty years ago, the rainbow got co-opted. Well before my time, and that's another topic -- maybe a speaker corner thread to vent frustration at this. (I wouldn't be surprised if this is the main annoyance nowadays, even when rainbow-colored skydiving equipment is still common -- even among people who don't care that we are gay, just the rainbow symbollogy being an annoyance -- an interesting textbook academic discussion, but I'd rather put that to Speaker Corner as that topic can get charged.) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hookitt 0 #16 May 5, 2010 Quote I am also known as Canada's first licensed born-deaf skydiver -- I keep forgetting you're deaf because you have an amazing grasp of written English. It's much better than mine, that's for sure. My younger brother, who was also born deaf, has terrible written English. My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Southern_Man 0 #17 May 5, 2010 Quote And, we're harmless to the straight jumpers too. Harmless? It's even better than that, you are no competition for the limited amount of women in the sport."What if there were no hypothetical questions?" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jbag 0 #18 May 5, 2010 that is the gayest thing i have ever seen!!! :PIHYD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mdrejhon 8 #19 May 5, 2010 Quote Quote And, we're harmless to the straight jumpers too. Harmless? It's even better than that, you are no competition for the limited amount of women in the sport. Are you SUUUUUUUUUUURRRE? We had more STRAIGHT women skydivers partying with us at our last Rainbow Boogie, than Rainbow Skydivers. Just ask someone who was there. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,467 #20 May 5, 2010 >How come you don't just call yourselves outright what you actually >are: "HOMOSEXUAL SKYDIVERS"? Probably the same reason Moxie calls themselves Moxie and not "FEMALE SKYDIVERS." Cause it's a better name. >Why come up with the whole "Rainbow" thing to fool people about what >kind of group you really are? I don't think anyone is/was fooled. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 0 #21 May 5, 2010 QuoteI don't think anyone is/was fooled. I was. I thought they were paint salesmen. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JerryBaumchen 1,077 #22 May 5, 2010 Hi Mark, A slight adjustment if you do not mind. Quote We have many straight supporters who support what we are doing! You guys/gals go have fun; I am all for you being a part of society to the full extent as anyone is. BTW, I do support same-sex marriage; why should we be the only ones unhappy. JerryBaumchen Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 34 #23 May 5, 2010 Quote Quote I am also known as Canada's first licensed born-deaf skydiver -- I keep forgetting you're deaf because you have an amazing grasp of written English. It's much better than mine, that's for sure. My younger brother, who was also born deaf, has terrible written English. It all depends on how we were educated. Mark is incredibly spot on with his English, as well as I. I don't know what kind of school he went to, but I attended private schools all the way through the 10th grade, including 4 years at a college prep school where standard fare would be advanced placement at public schools. The 10th grade got to be a bit too hard for me, and I transferred to the public high school. Sad, but true, many deaf people suck royally at reading and writing English. Most of those were educated at state schools for the deaf or completely encased in special education classrooms at public schools. A large part of my success comes from my parents both being A students and valuing education for the best opportunities in life and they pushed me well."Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hookitt 0 #24 May 5, 2010 I forget you are too. Yep. It was a state school. The English program was actually quite good but I do not believe proper English was forced in all classes. So much for thread drift. :) Carry on.My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mdrejhon 8 #25 May 5, 2010 QuoteQuoteI don't think anyone is/was fooled. I was. I thought they were paint salesmen.We have a 100% money back guarantee. Just show your original receipt. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
