First of all, not being proud of something is not the same as being ashamed of it. There is a spectrum. You can just be something without it being a point of pride. Pride should be something that is earned as one accomplished something or overcomes some struggle. It should not be the default. It’s dumb to be proud to be a Gemini, proud to be 23 years old, or proud to be named “David”. You have nothing to do with being those things and none of those things inherently cause you struggles. Can you think of any similar attributes that are stupid to be proud of?
Second of all, many minorities are proud not simply because they are a minority, but because they’ve had to deal with the challenges that are the default state of being part of that minority in our society. As an example, “gay pride” is about being open, honest and okay with who you are despite a very recent history where being outed as gay meant you were a punchline, at best, and hated, violated and killed, at worst. It is about overcoming obstacles. Struggles. The same applies to other marginalized minorities, racial minorities, religious minorities, immigrants, trans people, etc. It is not about feeling self-righteous, superior, or owed more than anyone else. It is about climbing from the pit that society put you in and fighting your way to stand level with everyone else.
That is why straight pride and white pride are usually synonymous with ignorant or hateful people. When you are not only in the majority, but also part of the group that is ultimately responsible for marginalizing minorities, whether you specifically do it or not, the context of your pride in those attributes is inherently different. Reflecting back “gay pride” with “straight pride” or “black pride” with “white pride” is not just about being ok with your orientation or race. It IS ok to be straight and white, as well as American, Christian, cis, male, etc… But those attributes do not, in themselves, cause you struggle. You’re not marginalized because of those attributes. You are not celebrating what you have overcome. You are rebutting someone who is proud of being gay, black, etc. and their accomplishments in overcoming their struggles with “Well if you can be proud about that, I can be proud about being not that, too!”. You’re at best missing the point and childishly making something about you that is NOT about you. And, at worst, you’re suggesting that you shouldn’t be proud to be gay, black, trans, foreign, non-christian, etc. at all. Either way, it’s not innocent or the “same thing”.
Sincerely, a straight white cis American-by-birth man who is not ashamed or proud of any of those attributes.
Yeah, no. I disagree. People should absolutely be proud to be whatever they identify with. You don’t get to decide what’s dumb or not for people. Just don’t use your pride as an excuse to say that others shouldn’t be proud to be as they are, i.e. be a bigot, and we won’t have a problem.
“Straight pride” wouldn’t necessarily be a problem if it were posted in a vacuum, but it has never once been posted except as a response to LGBT pride, exclusively by people who at best wouldn’t be upset if the SC allowed states to ban gay marriage again.
Even if it weren’t a problem, you should not be proud of whatever you want for no reason. Gay pride isn’t about being proud of being gay, it’s about being proud of being an exception to the default. They aren’t proud of themselves because they have a sexuality, they’re proud of themselves for putting up with a world where their sexuality paints a target on their back.
Why do you think I have to struggle to be proud? I kick ass and have an easy time of it, and I’m proud of that. I don’t see any conceivable way to be proud of the sex shit I’m into. Feel goods for weird interactions is just evolutionary shit without meaning.
I think people have made a fetish of minorities and underdog shit.
I’m indifferent to my attributes except my dexterity and critical thinking. I’m pretty good at avoiding the bandwagon effect and proud of that.
Also, white people aren’t even majority. Indians and Chinese are. I live in Cincinnati and I’m around way more black people and Mexicans than white people.
When a sudden lack of privileges feels like oppression.
Other groups are having that recognition to normalize acceptance, to push back at being shamed and attacked. The straights have had no such history, they have always been held up as the standard accepted default state. For them to have any sort of “pride” is to punch down to other oppressed groups.
It’s never been socially shameful to be straight, therefore “straight pride” is generally seen for what it is: purely a bad-faith reaction to LGBTQ+ pride statements. Same for “all/blue lives matter”.
The people who post stuff like this probably know that, but it makes them feel clever I guess.
This right here. It’s okay to be proud of your heritage and your community, even if you are a cis het white male in middle America. It would be unfair for people to try to take that away from you.
However, we all know when someone posts this it’s not really about pride in their community. It’s rage bait in the hopes of discrediting a minority group and that’s just hateful.
Privileges? Nobody just lets me have things. I have to work, and I only settle for ownership of what I have and use, no ‘permission we can take away whenever’. Privilege is a completely fucked concept used entirely for manipulation.
Nobody just lets me have things
You and other cishet white guys have, for hundreds of years, had things that others didn’t. You’ve never been told you aren’t allowed to marry the person you love, you’ve never had to protest and riot for your right to vote, you don’t have people constantly in your DMs saying that actually, you aren’t the gender that you are
Maybe nobody just lets you have things, but also nobody tries to deny you basic rights. Less than 20 years ago, 49 out of the 50 United States did not allow same sex marriage. It wasn’t until 2015 that every state was forced to recognize its legitimacy, and the present supreme court may very likely overturn that decision and allow states to ban it again. Unless you’re less than 8 years old, don’t act like you’ve never had privileges that were denied to other people based on your sexuality.
You’re wrong about literally all of those things, and what anyone had in the past doesn’t matter today.
Why not acceptance pride? Put a rainbow flag behind this icon and be proud to support all love is love.
Nothing wrong with being proud about being straight… As a straight guy, I think it’s a pretty weird thing to be proud about, but whatever - go off, king.
The problem is that these performative expressions of “pride” are unique to the types of reactionary cunts that want to advertise what a piece of shit they are to bait criticism, then cry about how oppressed they are. Very weak, feminine behaviour for people so concerned about gender roles.
Just be who you are, and don’t get so triggered by others doing the same - really simple stuff.
I don’t know…loudly proclaiming you’re not gay is pretty gay in my book.
