Gay Parades Celebrate Marriage Rights

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

There's no parade on Valentine's Day but if there was a straight parade it would considered a hate festival.

I think that's a simplification at best - we don't have "straight" pride parades because there simply isn't a demand for it. The problem with these kinds of arguments (also applied to race as in "what if a white person...") rely on the assumption that society as a rule treats all people equally all of the time. I would imagine we're all fully aware that this isn't really the case... and that in the context of what we're talking about - suggesting politically correct opposites to "gay pride" can only be interpreted as retaliatory and therefore negative.

Simply society grants more latitude to minority groups in regard to things like "gay pride" or "black history" out of simple fairness - because we recognise that these groups were subject to marginalisation and repression (and to some extent still are) - and because these are issues that would benefit from an increased awareness.

What would happen if we had a straight pride parade?

Quite simply nothing would happen. It would be a non-starter.

"Straightness" isn't something that really needs to be exclaimed or declared as there has never been any marginalisation of conventional sexuality. Most of these "pride" type parades come about because the minority group in question is or was marginalised in some way.

That still doesn't make homosexuality something to be "proud" of. Should sexual orientation be something to be proud of? Is it some kind of exceptional achievement? I don't have a problem with anyone being gay, I just question the wording.

The "pride" is more or less a reaction to the marginalisation. If you've been lambasted by friends and family for your lifestyle choices, or jeered / assaulted by drunken yobs for holding hands with your same-sex partner in public... I mean what would you expect would happen?

Its no surprise to me that like-minded people band together out of solidarity and promote themselves and their interests in an aggressive manner.

So... eventually, as the more stalwart elements of human society learns that its none of anyone's business to interfere with other's rights' and the homophobia dies down, we'll see these parades also subside as time goes by. I'm sure that should satisfy the more stalwart elements of the complainers in the first place.

Exactly. Once people stop discriminating (in the general sense) against people on the basis of race or sexuality the playing field will be equal and these things will die away.

[Amby 490]

I think every group should have a parade.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I think every group should have a parade.

Its an interesting idea - but I'm willing to bet that a lot of people from the majority groups wouldn't turn up.

[Amby 490]

I think every group should have a parade.

Its an interesting idea - but I'm willing to bet that a lot of people from the majority groups wouldn't turn up.

Well, then they can't complain about the minority groups showing up. If they didn't show up then they can't complain

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I think every group should have a parade.

Its an interesting idea - but I'm willing to bet that a lot of people from the majority groups wouldn't turn up.

Well, then they can't complain about the minority groups showing up. If they didn't show up then they can't complain

But they do complain... The "what if a straight/white person did/said..." arguments are just examples of applying a simplistic form of reversed political correctness to what we all know are rather complex issues.

All it really is a way to score cheap points by suggesting that marginalised groups shouldn't be given any special considerations and that these things are a significant reason why we don't have a purely egalitarian society. Its not all that hard to see how flawed the reasoning here.

Is a "pride" day a special consideration (or some sort of privilege that minority groups are exclusively being granted)? I don't think so - because that begs the question of who is actually pushing for this, and how are they promoting it to the exclusion of everyone else.

The fact is that everyone is free to start their own black, white, yellow, gay, bi, hermaphrodite parade - and in a lot of cases this sort of thing already exists. We have "national pride" days in this country not just the obvious (4th July) type stuff but we have "pride" celebrations in this country for pretty much every cultural or subcultural group you can think of (here in NYC we had Puerto Rican day a week or two ago, a couple weeks before that there was an "Immigrant" street festival all the way down 6th Avenue.

Its not really any different when it comes to things like sexuality and race - there is a certain sub-cultural dynamic to these things that doesn't really apply to the majority. Is the experience of being heterosexual really very meaningful to a person who's always taken their sexuality for granted and not had to fight for recognition or to feel the need to conceal who they are?

When people suggest "why don't we celebrate heterosexual pride or 'white pride' etc..." they don't tend to consider the political dimensions of what these ideas represent. "White pride" for example, can only be interpreted as racist because there is no uniform solidarity among whites or a specific cultural context with which white people can all identify. From my point of view the concept is smiply meaningless because I can't really understand what I would specifically have in common with another white or hetereosexual person to want (or rather need) to celebrate my "whiteness" or "heterosexuality".

In short - if you've never had to fight for your identity, why would you feel a need to promote it?

Edited June 30, 2008 by Number 6

[eric&gen 0]

How about a ####### parade every one can dress up as a huge #######.

[Ban Hammer 13,641]

How about a ####### parade every one can dress up as a huge #######.

would that qualify as a gay pride parade?

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

How about a ####### parade every one can dress up as a huge #######.

would that qualify as a gay pride parade?

[Amby 490]

I think every group should have a parade.

Its an interesting idea - but I'm willing to bet that a lot of people from the majority groups wouldn't turn up.

Well, then they can't complain about the minority groups showing up. If they didn't show up then they can't complain

But they do complain... The "what if a straight/white person did/said..." arguments are just examples of applying a simplistic form of reversed political correctness to what we all know are rather complex issues.

All it really is a way to score cheap points by suggesting that marginalised groups shouldn't be given any special considerations and that these things are a significant reason why we don't have a purely egalitarian society. Its not all that hard to see how flawed the reasoning here.

Is a "pride" day a special consideration (or some sort of privilege that minority groups are exclusively being granted)? I don't think so - because that begs the question of who is actually pushing for this, and how are they promoting it to the exclusion of everyone else.

The fact is that everyone is free to start their own black, white, yellow, gay, bi, hermaphrodite parade - and in a lot of cases this sort of thing already exists. We have "national pride" days in this country not just the obvious (4th July) type stuff but we have "pride" celebrations in this country for pretty much every cultural or subcultural group you can think of (here in NYC we had Puerto Rican day a week or two ago, a couple weeks before that there was an "Immigrant" street festival all the way down 6th Avenue.

Its not really any different when it comes to things like sexuality and race - there is a certain sub-cultural dynamic to these things that doesn't really apply to the majority. Is the experience of being heterosexual really very meaningful to a person who's always taken their sexuality for granted and not had to fight for recognition or to feel the need to conceal who they are?

When people suggest "why don't we celebrate heterosexual pride or 'white pride' etc..." they don't tend to consider the political dimensions of what these ideas represent. "White pride" for example, can only be interpreted as racist because there is no uniform solidarity among whites or a specific cultural context with which white people can all identify. From my point of view the concept is smiply meaningless because I can't really understand what I would specifically have in common with another white or hetereosexual person to want (or rather need) to celebrate my "whiteness" or "heterosexuality".

In short - if you've never had to fight for your identity, why would you feel a need to promote it?

very good point

[VisaJourneyLady 33]

Thanks Eric for posting that, I'm so happy to see that the campaign for civil and equal rights for all is stong and proud!

[Sister Fracas 5]

In short - if you've never had to fight for your identity, why would you feel a need to promote it?

[kerewin21 2]

And so far I've not heard any logical rationale for why it shouldn't be permitted, other than that they're just uncomfortable with it being called it "marriage".

Actually, the argument I hear most often is that legalizing gay marriage puts society's stamp of approval on homosexuality. This will cause a mass public conversion to homosexuality.

Well that's certainly what happened in Massachusetts when they legalized gay marriage. I mean, honestly, society in MA has gone to #######. Everyone is now gay and thousands of families have fallen apart. That's why I moved to New York.

[eric&gen 0]

Let the queers have it there way i still believe they shouldn't mess with marriage need to be left alone for a man and a woman only. Poor younger generation will be confused.

[Sheriff Uling 3]

Let the queers have it there way i still believe they shouldn't mess with marriage need to be left alone for a man and a woman only. Poor younger generation will be confused.

Agreed! What a shame...

[Sheriff Uling 3]

I think every group should have a parade.

Its an interesting idea - but I'm willing to bet that a lot of people from the majority groups wouldn't turn up.

Well, then they can't complain about the minority groups showing up. If they didn't show up then they can't complain

But they do complain... The "what if a straight/white person did/said..." arguments are just examples of applying a simplistic form of reversed political correctness to what we all know are rather complex issues.

All it really is a way to score cheap points by suggesting that marginalised groups shouldn't be given any special considerations and that these things are a significant reason why we don't have a purely egalitarian society. Its not all that hard to see how flawed the reasoning here.

Is a "pride" day a special consideration (or some sort of privilege that minority groups are exclusively being granted)? I don't think so - because that begs the question of who is actually pushing for this, and how are they promoting it to the exclusion of everyone else.

The fact is that everyone is free to start their own black, white, yellow, gay, bi, hermaphrodite parade - and in a lot of cases this sort of thing already exists. We have "national pride" days in this country not just the obvious (4th July) type stuff but we have "pride" celebrations in this country for pretty much every cultural or subcultural group you can think of (here in NYC we had Puerto Rican day a week or two ago, a couple weeks before that there was an "Immigrant" street festival all the way down 6th Avenue.

Its not really any different when it comes to things like sexuality and race - there is a certain sub-cultural dynamic to these things that doesn't really apply to the majority. Is the experience of being heterosexual really very meaningful to a person who's always taken their sexuality for granted and not had to fight for recognition or to feel the need to conceal who they are?

When people suggest "why don't we celebrate heterosexual pride or 'white pride' etc..." they don't tend to consider the political dimensions of what these ideas represent. "White pride" for example, can only be interpreted as racist because there is no uniform solidarity among whites or a specific cultural context with which white people can all identify. From my point of view the concept is smiply meaningless because I can't really understand what I would specifically have in common with another white or hetereosexual person to want (or rather need) to celebrate my "whiteness" or "heterosexuality".

In short - if you've never had to fight for your identity, why would you feel a need to promote it?

Interesting!

The older that I become, the more asinine and polarizing the whole black, white, yellow, gay, bi, and/or hermaphrodite parade thing seems to me. We're so focused on self righteously accenting and celebrating our differences, in some cases flamboyantly alienating everyone else. I just don’t and can’t see the world in such a narrow glass. Maybe some people need that in order to somehow feel better about themselves (or their heritage) instead of being proud to be what we have all become. Americans! However, this is all my opinion...

Cheers!!!

Sheriff Uling