Straight pride
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Straight Pride (or Heterosexual Pride) is an anti-gay slogan used by isolated social conservative groups and a few municipal governments. It is used in response to "Gay pride", a political stance and slogan adopted by various LGBT groups in the early 1970s. Unrelated sporadic "Straight Pride" backlash incidents have generated controversy and have gained limited media attention.
Incidents
The heterosexual community, which does not generally celebrate "Straight Pride", can find the concept of "Pride" bewildering.[1]
White Aryan Resistance and the Ku Klux Klan, in the name of equality, seek to counter counter gay pride by stressing straight pride.
One of the most common skinhead tactics is to attempt to establish a "White student union". This method was pioneered in the 1980s by the Klan in the east and WAR in the west as simply an issue of equality. There is a Black prom queen; there should be a White prom queen. There is an Asian student union; there should be a European student union. There are gay pride stickers; there should be straight pride stickers. There is a Hispanic heritage week; there should be a European heritage week and so on. The concept of the White student union appeals to the adolescent's need for fairness and balance. Without an understanding of cultural history, in which power has been slanted in the direction of straight, White males, the concept seems just.[2]
1991, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
In 1991, a group of conservative organizations at University of Massachusetts organized a "Straight Pride" rally, which was attended by about 50 people. A crowd ten times that size protested the rally.[3]
2005, Yellowknife, Canada
On May 25, 2005, CBC News announced "Yellowknife to mark gay and straight pride".[4] The mayor of Yellowknife proclaimed June 10, 2005 as Gay Pride Day. In response, Councillor Alan Woytuik proposed that there be a Heterosexual Day. The mayor agreed and proclaimed it for June 9. Woytuik defended the proposal for Heterosexual Day by stating that "recognizing the contributions of heterosexuals is just as legitimate as recognizing the contributions of gay and lesbian communities."
In response Don Babey of the group that made the initial request for Gay Pride Day asked if Black History Month will be partnered with White Heritage Month and will days marking heart disease and strokes be paired with an equal number of days that will celebrate good health?[4]
Woytuik's request for the Heterosexual Day made headlines across the country. He was shocked by all the attention, withdrew his request for the proclamation, and apologized to anybody who he offended. He referred to his request as a simple one seeking to treat everyone the same. It had blown way out of proportion from what the original intent was, he said. On Monday of the next week, the city of Yellowknife rescinded its proclamation of Heterosexual Day.[5]
2010, American Tea Party movement
"Straight Pride" t-shirts have been sold at American Tea Party protests.[6][7]
2010, Budapest, Hungary
In the summer of 2010, the Hungarian news wire agency, Magyar Távirati Iroda (MTI), reported on a heterosexual pride march in Budapest. One hundred people participated including two radical nationalist politicians. They followed the route of an earlier gay pride parade. The march's goal was to prevent future homosexual use of public spaces.[8]
2011, Sao Paulo, Brazil
In August, 2011, the city council of São Paulo, Brazil, the largest city in South America and site of a huge gay pride celebration, voted to designate the third Sunday in December as Heterosexual Pride Day. For the city council's action to become law the mayor needed to sign it. There is no record that he did so.[9]
High Schools
2001, Chambers v. Babbitt
"All students benefit from the respectful and thoughtful exchange of ideas and sharing of beliefs and practices. Schools, in particular, are environments that can provide education of both the substance of diversity and the responsible manner with which such diversity is approached and expressed"[10]
Judge Donovan Frank closing Chambers v Babbitt (2001)
In 2001, Woodbury High School in St. Paul, Minnesota created homophobia-free areas called "safe zones" designated by an inverted pink triangle and intended for LGBT students.[11] Student Elliot Chambers reacted by wearing a makeshift t-shirt with the slogan "Straight Pride" and the image of male and female stick figures holding hands. In light of previous anti-LGBT incidents, the school's principal ordered Chambers to remove the shirt, and a court case ensued.[12]
Judge Donovan Frank upheld Chambers' complaint that his First Amendment rights had been violated, and that the principal's decision was unjustified.[12] Although praising the principal's intentions, the judge explained that views of both sides of the debate should be allowed and that such issues should be resolved within the school's community, not within the court system.[12] The judge applied the Tinker ruling, which held that the substantial disruptions claimed by the school must be shown to have some connection to Chambers' t-shirt message of "Straight Pride".[13]
2010, St. Charles North High School
In response to a local spate of suicides amongst LGBT adolescents, an Ally Week was held at St. Charles North High School in St. Charles, Illinois in 2010. On the first day of this Ally Week, though, three students arrived wearing "Straight Pride" t-shirts. The back of these t-shirts displayed Leviticus 20:13, a verse stating that those who perform homosexual acts should be put to death. While the school did not force the students to remove their t-shirts, it did persuade them to remove the bible quotation. The following day two different students arrived wearing "Straight Pride" t-shirts minus the bible quotations and were consequently asked to remove their shirts.[14]
Advocacy and opposition
As the world's largest gay pride parade kicked off, Carlos Apolinário, representing advocates for a straight pride parade submitted a proposal to the Sao Paulo city council to hold a “Orgulho Hetero” day on the third Sunday of each December. "Orgulho Hetro" is Portuguese for heterosexual pride. Brazilians argued intensively over the idea.[15][citation needed] The Sau Paulo city council subsequently passed legislation establishing the day.[citation needed][16] Carlos Apolinário told reporters that his idea “not anti-gay, but a protest against the privileges the gay community enjoys.” The Brazilian Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Association criticized this, arguing "it could provoke homophobic violence."[17]
In a Chicago Tribune opinion column, Eric Zorn examined the question "If it's OK for gay people to proclaim their 'gay pride,' why isn't it equally OK for straight people to proclaim their 'straight pride'?" He concluded that "the expression 'Straight Pride' can only be read as a gratuitous and contemptuous response to the suggestion that gay people not be marginalized."[18]
The Utah Daily Chronicle story "Straight Pride’ Fliers Posted Anonymously" covered anonymous posting of "Straight Pride" posters following a "university pride" week. Accounts of why the posters were quickly removed varied from the posters lacking the required date stamp to the statement by the flyer's makers: "Most of [the fliers] did not survive their first day of proclamation, whether this is due to humorless officials, gay supremacists or gusts of air....". [19]
References
- ^ Eliason, Michael (2007). "Shifting Sands or Solid Foundation? Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Identity Formation". The Health of Sexual Minorities. 1: 3–26. doi:10.1007/97803873133441.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Blazak, Randy (2001). "White boys to terrorist men: Target recruitment of Nazi Skinheads" (PDF). American Behavioral Scientist. 44 (6): 993. doi:10.1177/00027640121956629. Retrieved 2012-03-28.
- ^ "Campus Life: Massachusetts; Angry Gay Groups Drown Out Rally By Conservatives". The New York Times. 10 March 1991. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
- ^ a b "Yellowknife to mark gay and straight pride". CBCnews Canada. May 25, 2005. Retrieved 2012-03-27.
- ^ "'Shocked' councillor withdraws Straight Pride motion". CBC News North. May 30, 2005. Retrieved 2012-03-28.
- ^ Heywood, Todd (12 April 2010). "'Straight pride' shirts at Tea Party rally draw fire". Michigan Messenger. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
- ^ Lepore, Jill (2010). The whites of their eyes: the Tea Party's revolution and the battle over American history. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton Univ. Press. pp. 126–127. ISBN 978-0-691-15027-7.
- ^ MTI (2010-09-06). "Anti-gay parade held in Budapest". caboodle.hu. Retrieved 2012-03-28.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Ring, Trudy (August 4, 2011). "Brazilian City Seeks Heterosexual Pride Day". The Advocate. Retrieved 2012-03-28.
- ^ Biegel, Stuart (2010). The right to be out: sexual orientation and gender identity in America's public schools. Minneapolis, Minn.: University of Minnesota Press. p. 203. ISBN 978-0-8166-7457-2.
- ^ Fenton, Ben (18 January 2002). "Student wins right to show 'straight pride'". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
- ^ a b c Ayres, Ian; Brown, Jennifer Gerarda (2005). Straightforward: how to mobilize heterosexual support for gay rights (Google eBook). Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. pp. 41–43. ISBN 0-691-12134-6.
- ^ "Chambers v. Babbitt, 145 F. Supp. 2d 1068 (District of Minn. 2001)". First Amendment Schools: Speech. First Amendment Center. Retrieved 2012-03-27.
- ^ Fuller, James (11 November 2010). "'Straight Pride' shirts become free speech fight at St. Charles North". Daily Herald. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
- ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/straight-pride-suggested-as-brazils-gay-pride-parade-kicks-off/2011/06/22/AGgy1JgH_blog.html "Straight Pride" as Brazil's gay pride parade kicks off By Elizabeth Flock Washington Post June 22, 2011
- ^ Ring, Trudy. "Brazilian City Seeks Heterosexual Pride Day | World News". The Advocate. Retrieved 2012-04-02.
- ^ Levesque, Brody (August 4, 2011). "Sao Paulo lawmaker calls for 'straight pride' to counter 'privileged' gay celebration". LGBTQ Nation.
- ^ Zorn, Eric (November 14, 2010.). "When pride turns shameful". Chicago Tribune.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/uncategorized/straight-pride-fliers-posted-anonymously/ Straight Pride’ Fliers Posted Anonymously Utah Daily Chronicle October 22, 2002.