gunningforabasementoffice:

THANK YOU.  I was thinking about this this morning.  

When David went, and anyone dared to say he was there as a boyfriend, the Other Side shouted us down, insulted us and mocked us for saying that. Actually, there was a lot of David-mocking happening, too, because people were taunting him and saying that he was going to sneak in wearing a disguise and hide backstage, then sneak out under a coat.  

When we dared to say that he looked happy and he took his sister because he was proud to show her the amazing work Gillian does on stage, we were laughed at and told to shut up because “everyone” takes family to see friends. (Um, no.  Just like I don’t kiss my male colleagues and male friends on their lips, either.)  

When David went backstage, do you remember what was said?  That he snuck out with his sister and that was why no one saw him leave.  That there was “no reason” for him to stick around with Gillian, because he’s “nothing to her”.  I could point you in the direction of who said this, but it really doesn’t matter, because it’s long gone and done.  The point is, the person and her friends had loud voices and people listened, so it became a refrain that a lot of people suddenly believed.

David was actually seen going backstage by many people and never seen coming back out.  He waited patiently for Gillian to sign autographs – backstage. He sat through the performance with rapt attention and looked like he loved being there.  People attending caught candids of him and posted them, and he actually looked happy to be there.  In the audience, numerous people described what he looked like, and it ranged from mesmerized to proud to in love to emotional.  Yet, he was labelled as “just a friend being supportive”.  Just “a co-worker”.  And if you dared to utter a word against that, certain people were more than happy to bring all hell down upon you.

PM goes to Gillian’s event, never interacts with her, doesn’t disappear backstage with her, doesn’t leave with her, arrives early, is in the company of a woman who was probably his date or his girlfriend, looks uncomfortable to be there, can’t wait to leave, and has a face like thunder for much of the evening suddenly gets translated into: he’s there to support the love of his life!  He was so proud!  He was so happy!  He loves his lady!

The level of double standards in this fandom is both astounding and absolutely disgusting.

The level of David-erasure, which is what I’m going to start calling it, is just as disgusting.  PM is not the boyfriend.  David is Gillian’s partner.  And to remove him from the narrative of her life, the way some people are attempting to do, is reprehensible.

And thank you so much for bringing this up and pointing it out.