With Pride month coming to a close, multiple festivals have been occurring around the globe to celebrate individuality and freedom of sexual expression. One question that has emerged during this colorful time period is: “should allies and straight-identifying individuals be allowed to attend the various pride parades?”

In order for society to combat the bigotry of this country, I see no reason why allies and heterosexual individuals should not be allowed to attend pride, as long as the festival is used for its intended purpose.

From an outside perspective, pride festivals appear as one big party that last for hours and take up miles in the streets of highly populated cities. However, no matter what your gender or sexual orientation is, the purpose of these festivals cannot be forgotten.

Members of the LGBTQA+ community use this time to celebrate their sexuality and to honor all members of the community who were shunned from society in the past. Along with this idea, these events serve as a safe space for individuals to be their authentic self and remember anyone who was not able to be free during their lifetime. Even though the purpose of this event can be hidden behind the colorful floats, body paint and comical posters, it cannot be forgotten by anyone.

One of the main reasons this question has been raised by society is many feel as though allies and heterosexual individuals have never experienced the hardships of being part of the community. Therefore, members of the LGBTQA+ community are left with the question of “why should they be allowed to celebrate with us if they never experienced the hardships of being in the community?”

To a certain extent, I understand this question. No matter what, no one, even members of the community, will understand every individual’s story. Just because I am a gay-identifying male does not mean I understand the struggles of being transgender in today’s society. However, I am allowed to partake in pride with no fear of being criticized by other members of the community. In my eyes, it is the same situation in regards to allies and heterosexual individuals.

Another main argument is many use it to participate in the after parties. In my opinion, I do not believe that there should be after parties in general. Getting beyond intoxicated after this event or solely looking forward to this aspect of the event shows a lack of understanding of the festival’s purpose. No one should be looking forward to drinking after a Pulse Orlando float goes by, but rather should be mourning the loss of those who were crucified by today’s society.

Sexuality is not the issue here, but rather a lack of respect for those who have lost their loved ones in an act of terrorism.

On the flip side, many members of the community who I have talked to have expressed that they feel as though it is just for allies and heterosexual individuals to attend the festival, but just not walk with any of the floats or organizations. I do not feel as though this is fair because it shows segregation and alludes to “separate but equal." In a world filled with discrimination, I do not see the point of setting individuals aside just because their sexual orientation is less likely to be discriminated against. Anyone and everyone should be allowed to participate in the pride march and no member of the community should be advocating for separation because, at the end of the day, they are just trying to support our fight for equality.

Overall, as long as the purpose of the pride march/ festival is remembered, I do not see the point of not allowing allies and heterosexual people to attend the event. As cliche as it may sound, in this world, we need to find strength in numbers. Therefore, anyone who is respectful and able to support the LGBTQA+ community should be allowed to participate in any event that supports our cause.