When will Yahoo! be celebrating Straight Pride Day?

Question

I merely ask because I feel discriminated against as a straight white male.

Wow, I'm amazed at the answers I'm getting. You know I'm not against gay pride day. It's just that if being gay is "no big deal", then why are we making a big deal over it? Is having and celebrating Gay Pride Day going to change anything? Will it un-bias the people who are biased against gay people? Will it help end discrimination? Will it gain a single toehold anywhere for LGBT people? Or instead, will it just fan the flames of intolerance?

Yes, I asked the question in a tongue-in-cheek manner, but stop and think...what exactly is Gay Pride Day going to accomplish that hasn't already been accomplished?

Answer 1

No one, including Yahoo, will be celebrating a Straight Pride Day (hopefully) for the same reasons that there should never be a "Men's History Month." As many have said before, everyday is a straight pride day, as every month is men's history month. That is to say, that without intervention, the majority of the populous accepts and knows of men's history as they accept and know heteros.

The purpose of Gay Pride Day is for folks who happen to be gay to celebrate the people that they are openly, freely, without harrassment.

If you think of Gay Pride Day in those terms, you can see where every day is 'Straight Pride Day' -- not many question or harrass a hetero-appearing person for openly, freely displaying their preference.

You state that, " if being gay is "no big deal", then why are we making a big deal over it?" I think that being gay is a BIG DEAL, in that a person who is gay may have to constantly gauge whether the environment they are in is accepting of their preference. They may have to assess whether someone is going to physically harm or threaten to harm them. They may have to wonder if their job is on the line due to being openly gay.

In various places and circumstances in their life, they have to confront whether they themselves and their extended family, if they have one, will be accepted by others -- can they insure their partner, can they leave their partner their estate, can their partner make health care decisions for them.

You state, "Is having and celebrating Gay Pride Day going to change anything?" I think that it can. If nothing else, it instills confidence and support within the gay community. And at best, it can help others see folks who are gay as everyday people.
You state, "Will it un-bias the people who are biased against gay people? Will it help end discrimination? Will it gain a single toehold anywhere for LGBT people?" I submit the hope is there. I believe that not doing it is an injustice and a lost opportunity. To not do it, is like sinning by omission.

You state, "Or instead, will it just fan the flames of intolerance?" If it does fan the flames of intolerance, that is a possibility, but I believe it is a risk worth taking. For every person who lives in fear of the person they truly are, for every person who has contemplated the unthinkable simply because they didn't think anyone else was out there like them, Gay Pride Day can be a life saver.

You state, "what exactly is Gay Pride Day going to accomplish that hasn't already been accomplished?" There is a long way to go for many people to accept the notion that being gay is okay. Until that day happens, Gay Pride Days should continue to exist.

Answer 2

When straight people are discriminated against and have their basic rights taken away as the gays do. YOu are NOT discriminated against. How dare you say that! How are you discriminated against? Please tell me. B/c you can marry whoever you want? B/c people will always accept you sexuality for what it is? B/c you will always be able to visit your partner in the hospital? It makes me sick when bigots like you make that statement. Do you honestly think that b/c gays want equal rights that that means you will have less rights. NO. Equality means everyone has EQUAL rights. Gays will simply have the same rights as you. No more no less. Grow a brain.

Oh and to Mothra, How would you feel if someone wore a shirt to school that said "i'm proud to be white." WOuldn't you say that's discriminating against minorities. Well someday homophobic behavior will be look down upon the same way racism is today. Oh and for the record i don't think an "i'm proud to be straight shirt." or and 'I"m proud to be white shirt" are discriminatory to anyone. People should have the right to be proud of who they are. It's only wrong if that pride coincides with prejudice toward other groups. And since a school could never know that.. than I don't think anything should or could be done about it.

Answer 3

You can have a Straight Pride Day on any of the other 364 days of the year. Why can't gay people, who make up getting on for 10% of the population, have one day out of 365? If things were at all fair in this world we should have 36 gay pride days each year and 37 in leap years.

Answer 4

That is totally acceptable to me. You know there is work involved right? I mean you have to actually get out there and do stuff you can't just expect them to invent it for you.

You need to set put an event in your town. Start with a Straight Pride weekend and go from there. Build it into a parade, get entertainment and speakers and have booths and food and drinks. Then expand it to have other cities do this also. Then in a couple of years when you have proven yourself they will more than likely give you what you ask for.

Good luck.

Answer 5

What it accomplishes is giving LGBT folks who want to participate a safe space to openly be who they are for a day surrounded by hundreds of supportive people. But I guess you hadn't stopped to consider that gay pride parades could possibly be for gay people instead of for you.

Answer 6

OK, I'll make a deal with you -

When LGBT people are no longer beaten, harassed, and killed, just for being exactly as God made them . . .
When LGBT people are no longer discriminated against in jobs, housing, and especially marriage . . .
When hypocritical hatemongers stop spewing lies about LGBT people and then calling themselves "christian" . . .

then there won't need to be a Gay Pride Day. At that time I will wholeheartedly support your Straight Pride Day.

Until that time, support the people who do NOT have equal rights instead of disparaging them. You are more than welcome at any Pride parade or PFLAG meeting.

Do we have a deal?
Why not?

Answer 7

You have Straight Pride Day 364 days of the year. Surely you don't begrudge one day out of that?

While you're at it, why don't you suggest we celebrate White History Month as well?

Answer 8

you get to celebrate that everyday, when you walk down the street with your girlfriend/wife and hold her hand and give her loving kiss in public and no one looks at you twice.

What gay pride does for me is gives me a huge sense of community and belonging. I'm not alone. It's very empowering. For my community it shows how varied we are and that the GLBT community is as diverse as the community we live in and that we are a large part of our community. Some people think there are a handful of GLBT folks in their towns, they can be quite surprised when thousand turn out for a pride event.

Answer 9

Nothing is stopping you from having your own straight pride day, I say go for it!

Answer 10

As soon as gay people have a equal right to Marry, then you can have your parade to show your support for Gay Marriage. I'll march with you