Straight Pride sounds ridiculous.
Every year during Pride Month, there is always a small minority that shout out ‘’what about me! I need Straight Pride’’.
Whilst it may be a small minority, it does seem to have been a growing trend over the past few years with the first actual ‘Straight Pride’ happening in 2019 – it was a massive flop, but it still happened.
When people say ‘why don’t we have Straight Pride’ it shows how little they know or understand about LGBTQ+ Pride and why it exists in the first place.
Pride exists because LGBTQ+ people have faced discrimination, harassment, inequality, violence and danger for years.
To put it simply, Pride is a celebration of who we are, what has been achieved and a protest against all the injustice that has gone by and all the injustice that still exists. It is so much more than parades, glitter and rainbows.
For those people that do understand why we have Pride but still want a ‘Straight Pride’ their message would oddly translate to….
‘As a straight person, I wish that I experienced discrimination, criminalisation, harassment and hardship for being straight so that we could have a Straight Pride to protest, celebrate and parade to fight back against all the problems we have for being straight’’
Sounds ridiculous right?
Here are 10 reasons why Straight Pride makes no sense at all and has no need to exist… [no_toc]
10 Reasons why we don’t need ‘Straight Pride’
1. Is your existence legal?
No one has had their existence questioned, invalidated or classed as being ill*gal for being straight.
However it is still ill*gal to be gay in 73+ countries.
2. Can you marry?
It’s not ill*gal to get married for straight couples anywhere in the world.
It is ill*gal for LGBTQ+ couples to marry in 70+ countries.
3. Criminal penalty?
There is no threat of criminal penaltys for being straight.
4. How about prison?
No one is put in prison or classed a criminal for being straight.
5. It’s time to convert to being gay!
No one has been pressured to try and change their sexuality or has been forced into dangerous conversion therapy for being straight.
6. Tell me about those rights you don’t get?
There has never been a fight for ‘straight rights’, there are not any rights that are restricted for being straight.
7. What about the time you lost your job? No?
No one has lost their job because their employer found out they were straight.
8. Are you safer in the street?
No one has been assaulted for the sole reason of being straight.
9. Can you adopt?
No one has been refused adoption because they are a straight couple.
10. Its just a bit insulting isn’t it?
Having a ‘Straight Pride’ insults and attempts to diminish the importance, meaning and all the work behind LGBTQ+ Pride.
Food for thought: Imagine a family member having a party to celebrate that they are free from a serious health problem and to raise money for a health charity, at the same time another perfectly healthy member of family pipes up to say ‘well if they are getting a celebration I should have one to! It’s not fair they get to celebrate being free from their health condition but I don’t get to celebrate having no health problems’. – same difference.
Again, we must reiterate that it is such a small minority of people thinking this way but it is always helpful to highlight these issues.
The majority of people we know are incredible LGBTQ+ allies and we love them for it.
If you want to learn more about being an LGBTQ+ ally head over to Our Top Tips for Becoming the best LGBTQ+ Ally.
Final word: Simply put, if you happen to be straight, please continue to be respectful (as 99% of people are) and be thankful you don’t need straight pride.