Why do gays have to be proud to be gay?

Question

Are you proud to be gay?
But None of straight people are proud to be straight right?
Why are you proud to be gay then?

Answer 1

its a subject that is changing the way we look and think. I think they have to stick together and have gay pride no differently then when Martin Luther King was proud to be black. Lets hope it changes the world views. Who should have problems with gays. I think the strongly harsh opinionated ppl are afraid that they have it in them to be gay too. If you cause no harm to others, practice safe sex either gay, bi or straight, all the power to ya!

Answer 2

Hi there,

Straight people are proud to be straight; why do you think so many of them bash LGBT's (and I'm sorry, but I have never heard of a gay person bashing another gay person because they were gay; abusive relationships is a different story). We are proud of who we are because we have been the "pink" sheep in society for centuries. Gay Pride is, at least for me, Birthday, Christmas and New Years all wrapped up into one celebration. It's one time a year where we really do say to hell with everyone else out there and their opinions. We are here, normal and we are not going away.

When you are afraid to hold hands in public because someone may yell "******" or beat you up; when you are sitting on a step watching people and a bunch or teenage yahoos throw full, unopened cans of coke or beer bottles at you from a moving car window some people can be traumatized. Maybe if a bunch of gay teens hopped into their car and drove up and down the main "straight strip" yelling, "breeders" and throwing things at them, or even hop out of the car to assult straight boys perhaps the straight ignorant people out there might empathize as to where we are comming from.

And the double standards between the two "communities" hurt as well. Straight couples feel comfotable holding hands and kissing in public, if that is something they want to do, regardless of where they are. I have seen many a straight couple show signs of affection in the gay community and no one says boo. Sure, I do know some gay men who wish "those kinds" would leave but that does not make it right either. But if a gay couple does the same thing in a straight neighbourhood, all hell could break loose.

Gay people are proud because we do not take for granted the freedoms we have fought so hard to get, freedoms that are no different to those shared by our straight counterparts. Also, straight people never have to worry about their freedoms being revoked, at the whim and fancy of our illustrious leaders, as we do not live under a dictatorship. Gay people are constantly having to remain vigilant: every new change of political power opens up old arguements and wounds. For example, I am so tired of hearing gay marriages are ok ,then there are not ok, then they are, now IF and when our government (Canada here) does have a majority of power (so that they feel that they have a better chance of winning) they want to return to the gay marriage debate. The straight community never has their rights and freedoms held hostage. If you really want to know why gay people are proud, take a walk in our shoes; think what it would be like if gay people were the majority and heterosexuality was the less common. Maybe then you might understand what we are proud of and why.

Cheers.

Answer 3

Do people realise that cults point the finger at each other? The schtick isn't coming from the straights.

I notice some generalisations here. No straights are proud to be straight. Straights are never discriminated against.

Pride has a few possible derivations including Late Latin - prode "advantageous, profitable". Gay appears to derive from Old High German gahi - fast or sudden. It's essentially a business proposition. According to Robert Graves, school teaches you how to be gay too. It's no coincidence that it's called a "school of thought." There are so many of them. The gay bit is that impatience is now a virtue and something to be merry about. In fact, misunderstandings due to lack of thought are hilarious to gay culture. Think and thank are related words in the English language. If you want to be thankful for what you've got, make sure that you're thinking about how you got it and what you can do with it.

Answer 4

For the same reason people of certain ethnic groups are proud to be whatever ethnicity they are, its a group identity, shared past and future kind of thing. Straight on the other hand is like vanilla ice cream, its just default and everywhere with no particular context, like being a WASP. One isn't necessarily better than the other and not all gay/ethnic people feel that way, some people would love to just be completely mainstream, but being fully and completely mainstream and being something in particular are two different ways of experiencing society.

Answer 5

I am proud of the freedom to be gay and open about it, rather than hiding who I really am from the public.

That's the pride. I'm not proud I AM gay, I'm proud that I can be openly gay.

Straight people can be openly straight, I'm sure they'd take pride in that if anyone ever called them shameful, or evil, or used any other derogatory term in association with heterosexuality. In other words, they're proud, but they don't know it, they take it for granted.

Answer 6

Are straights not proud to be straight ? So why are there some straights that have to bash gays all the time ? Are they not saying : I am better then you ?

Answer 7

What a great question. Who knows why Gay people have to be so damn proud to be gay. I am gay and am content being gay but I sure dont go forcing it on others. Its just annoying

Answer 8

I am hoping for the day when I don't have to speak out about being gay because it is as easily acceptable as being blue-eyed or tall.

Until then, I speak out. I'm proud of my partner and our relationship, so I demand that we be treated the same as other married couples. We're talking about kids, so we need to be evaluated as adoptive parents just as anyone else would.

"Gay Pride" has been a great way to speak out. Forget the parades and the parties. It's a great way to show our numbers and show that we're organized and driven by our beliefs.

Answer 9

Because gay "not embarrassed" is a little cumbersome. I'm not proud of being part of the LGBT community; not because it's something to be ashamed of, but because it's not something I accomplished. Pride implies that you did something that makes you feel good about yourself. That's why I've never agreed with gay pride, white pride, black pride, etc... None of these are characteristics a person chooses to attribute to themselves. But gay people DO have to stand up as a community and one that isn't ashamed to be what it is.

Answer 10

I think it began as a way of fighting people who want gays to be in the closet
Then it evolved from there, straights don't need to be proud as people never discriminate over being straight