[The Sexuality Blog] #HeterosexualPrideDay and the continued obliviousness of straight people

A few days ago LGBT people all over the world gathered together to celebrate Pride, an annual event that is a part celebration-part awareness drive. Pride is held to protest the continued discrimination sexual minorities suffer at the hands of governments, the clergy, social societies and their fellow citizens. Not long after that, someone decided it was a good idea for them to start their own Pride day, this time for heterosexual people.

I won’t pretend to know the person’s motives for doing this; perhaps they thought straight people would be traumatised by more gay people showing up on daytime and nighttime television. Or perhaps the rising rates of divorce or the rumoured demise of the ‘traditional’ family necessitated a day for the predominant, socially accepted family type to be celebrated. It’s possible the person felt straight people don’t get enough credit for being born ‘straight’ and need a day to let their freak flag fly. Whatever the reason, like white women and straight white men, they decided to make Pride about them.

Well done.

Well done because LGBT people well versed in deflecting hate with humour, took your Straight Pride day (which you people bring up every year) cracked the best jokes about it. Rip-roaring, fall-out-of-your-seat laughing jokes. Their humour took the sting out of your insensitivity, reclaimed Pride month for LGBT people, instead of devolving its meaning because of you. See, it’s easier than you think.

Pride exists because you won’t let LGBT people live among you, be public about their attractions, and you won’t let them hide them either. Pride is about us celebrating our brothers who are just like us when you strip away orientation and attraction, human.

We shouldn’t have to march to prove LGBT persons deserve to live a multidimensional, fulfilled life. Yet here we are.

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

cool good eh love2 cute confused notgood numb disgusting fail