outréness

A sub-cultural style or artifact, when adopted by the mainstream, loses its singularity. Once bell-bottoms became fashionable they were no longer a "gay style." However, it would be foolish to think that these "borrowings" were indicative of acceptance or even tolerance. More than likely, they are to defuse a threat, or because someone decides their outre-ness will be marketable.

1980 August 16, Michael Bronski, “Does Life Incriminate Art?”, in Gay Community News, volume 8, number 5, page 10