Recently, as with every Pride Month, the question of “why isn’t there a straight pride” or “why can’t there be a straight pride” comes up, often used as a simple jab against the LGBTQ+ community and mocking their supposed support for ‘equality’.

That statement and notion is complete bullshit. Let me explain why.

People who like to ask the question mentioned above generally come from the idea that equality means that everyone should be able to celebrate love, regardless of sexual orientation.

See where I’m headed with this?

They co-opt the statements generally used by the LGBTQ+ and use them against the community. I’m here to explain why this notion and philosophy is utter garbage. Using the same form of rhetoric, I want to ask all who are in support of a ‘straight pride’ a few questions.

Have you ever been harassed or bullied because of your attraction to the opposite gender? Have you ever been denied an employment opportunity based on your identification of your own gender or your attraction to the opposite gender? Have you been stigmatized and avoided or cut out by friends, co-workers, and family because of being straight? Have you suffered immense amounts of anxiety, depression, or a related condition as a result of being unable to figure yourself out in regards to your sexual orientation or gender?

Odds are, the vast and overwhelming majority would answer “no” to the above questions. This is part of the reason why there isn’t a need for a straight pride.

Let us not forget the reason why the concept of pride actually came into existence in the first place. For this, we need to go back to the Stonewall Riots of 1969. Pride and related activities were born out of excruciatingly poor material conditions for LGBTQ+ individuals, thus the resort to spontaneous violence as seen in the riots themselves occurred. Pride is a protest, not a party, despite how it may seem sometimes.

Not to mention the fact that the entirety of society is built on what is typically referred to as ‘heteronormativity’, or in other words, the treatment of society as being heterosexual in nature. LGBTQ+ activists claim that the concept of a straight pride is ludicrous because that is what the norm is…

Every. Single. Day.

A recent example that expresses precisely why pride and activism are still necessary took place not too long ago. A gay couple was assaulted and robbed by four men in a hate-directed attack on a London bus after “refusing to kiss”.

Melania Geymonat (right) and her partner Chris after being assaulted in London (Source: Melania Geymonat)

The above image is startling for sure, but it also explicitly demonstrates the hatred that the LGBTQ+ still faces on a day to day basis. Geymonat also stated that she does not know if her nose is broken and that she cannot return to work as a result of the attack that occurred.

According to Metropolitan Police records, hate crimes in regards to homophobia in London have increased drastically over the last nine years. This contrasts with the idea that societies around the developed world are becoming more accepting of LGBTQ+ individuals and presents the fact that much more work needs to be done.

Records showing a steady rise in homophobic hate crimes in London (Source: Metropolitan Police)

The concept of a straight pride only hurts the LGBTQ+ community. The conditions that the community are placed in on a daily basis are already very poor, and the constant berating of pride only seeks to further those same conditions that we strive to abolish. Opposition to a straight pride is the right thing to do in the present, especially given the fragile conditions already at hand.