There were “Straight Pride” t-shirts on sale at a Tea Party rally. And the people that have designed and distributed these shirts are moronic, and are taking something that minorities use as a way of claiming/reclaiming their identities, and misconstruing what the entire point of “pride” is.
“Pride,” as used in this context, exists as something to help minority and discriminated against populations attribute positive feelings with their identity. They’re proud to be gay, black, whatever, despite being discriminated against for it. Despite being harassed for it. Despite being “less than” for it. Claiming “straight pride” or “white pride” completely negates the purpose of the concept.
And it takes something that these populations can feel good about, and makes it about themselves. Again. Everything is already about them, anyway! All the rights. All the privileges. All the lawmaking abilities. You shouldn’t have to go out of your way to claim “pride” in something that you never had to work for, fight for, or prove to anyone was acceptable. Those things have never been “less than.” Claiming “pride” of an identity that’s never been victimized is attempting to claim victimhood where it does not exist.
I’m not saying that heterosexual people or white people shouldn’t be proud of who they are. But the concept of “pride” is one that’s used for the people that are told that they SHOULDN’T be proud of what they are, because it’s wrong or inferior to what others are. Shirts like this are just one more example of an oppressive population of people taking any attempt at the oppressed population to make strides away from that oppression and undermining it.
I'm Britni, a snarky bitch and generally awesome person. I write about sex, love, and bullshit. If sex-positivity, discussions about BDSM and kink, queer issues, and topics that are completely inappropriate by society's standards make you uncomfortable, then this blog is not for you.
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5 Comments
Excellent post! Very well said.
I agree with the sentiment of your post, because I know the underlying reason of Straight/[similar] Pride things.
BUT.
I disagree that “[c]laiming “pride” of an identity that’s never been victimized is attempting to claim victimhood where it does not exist.” I think that it’s okay to claim pride in whatever one likes, as long as the motivations aren’t an attempt at oppressing or victimization of someone else (which in the case you cited in your post, I’d agree with).
I can jive with that sentiment.
Those conservatives are always stealing shit. If only they could learn to spell …
xo~Sadie
I think it demonstrates the state of the politics of sexual orientation that a ‘straight pride’ shirt is not viewed in all circles as akin to a ‘white pride’ shirt. I think you hit the nail on the head with this post – well said!