June, as most people know, marks the beginning of LGBTQ+ pride month in the US. Pride is a time of celebration, remembrance, and resilience for the Queer community and sure, it's become very commercialized but the point still stands, we exist, we love and we're going to continue to do so despite opposition from people who find us to be sinful or consider us abominations or what have you. The best example of this, in my opinion, is the pride parades. It's in those spaces that we get to be as free and as Queer as we'd like in my experience, despite the protesters trying their best to remind us just how wrong we all are.
So, when I heard that Boston had plans in the works to hold a Straight Pride parade later this month I was a little taken aback but I wasn't honestly all that surprised. It's a trend for those with the privilege to take issue with anything that doesn't directly involve them. We've all heard things like 'if there's black history month why isn't there a white history month?' or 'Why aren't we learning about men's history?' and of course, 'If the gays get a parade then straight people should too!' and so on and so forth.
The answer is simple though, the reason we're not concerned with taking time out to teach or celebrate white history or male history or straight pride is that those are the things that are taught and celebrated every day without even thinking about it.
Every history book I've ever read centered around white, straight males with small excerpts off to the side about women and people of color and if people were queer, forget about it, they were certainly not in any textbook I've ever read. So the idea of holding a straight pride parade feels not only like yet another way for the majority to undermine the minority and insert themselves into spaces that aren't theirs but it also feels like a kick in the teeth. Like queer people are being mocked and made fun of.
Pride is a big deal for us. I can really only speak on my own experience but my first pride made me feel so good! I felt so at home. I was 14 and had just come out for the very first time and being at a pride parade, space where I could just be, made it seem a little less scary. Then, 2016 pride was filled with anger, fear, and heartbreak after the Pulse shooting in Orlando but seeing everyone come out and celebrate our community and be there for one another despite the recent events was empowering to say the least.
The LGBTQ+ community has been through a lot, just like any other minority community we face discrimination, we get slurs shouted at us, some of us can't even go to the bathroom without being questioned.
The point is, the Queer community has been through so many things that straight people don't and won't ever have to go through so the fact that they feel as though they need a place like pride to feel at home, safe and unafraid just... it doesn't make sense to me.
They're safe in every space.
They don't look over their shoulder as they head into the bathroom.
They don't get called "fag" or "dyke."
They aren't refused services from religious organizations.
They can adopt without discrimination.
The list goes on and on.
All in all, I just genuinely don't understand the concept of "straight pride." Regardless, Happy Pride to the LGBTQ+ community and to our straight allies, thank you.
