Why have pride?

I have been asked by a number of people in my life recently why we need Gay Pride Month.  This is relevant because June is the official month of gay pride in the United States.  The past few weekends have been accompanied by elaborate parades and festivities lasting for days on end.  I have actually yet to participate, myself, which does not imply that I am not proud, per se.  It's simply that the weekend of Portland Pride, I was at the Tim McGraw concert (how ironic), and last weekend I really didn't feel like driving all the way up to Seattle to celebrate there.

Basically it is a huge gay party, where people really let their flags fly, tie-dye and rainbows are everywhere, and some guys don't wear a whole lot of anything (I know right, now you are wondering how I could've passed that up!)

As obnoxious and over-the-top as this all may seem to a lot of people, and I'm not saying it isn't, gay pride is still very important.  A common argument (who's arguing?) tends to be, "You don't see straight people marching down the streets in a Straight Pride parade, so why do they feel they need to?"

I will say that this is similar to the Black History Month argument of "Why is there no White History Month?" The answer is also the same.  LIFE is straight, white culture.  Every single day, straight norms are present, straight freedoms are recognized, and straights can walk the streets of anywhere without being judged or ridiculed for their sexual orientation.  That might come across as petty and trivial, but here is where it becomes important to me:
• When straight people dance together at a night club.
• When straight people make out in front of me at a concert.
• When straight people go to dinner with their significant other without drawing any attention.
• When straight people hold hands walking down the street.

First of all, you want to talk to me about GAYS being in your face? Second, despite living in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave, I cannot comfortably do any of those things with my significant other in a public, non-gay oriented setting.  Some places are different than others; I am very lucky to be living in the laid-back, liberal-minded Pacific Northwest as opposed to a rural area or the South.  But what about all of the people who do live there?

This is where Gay Pride comes in.  It is one weekend out of the entire year where gays and lesbians are out and about being as blatantly gay as possible.  Over-the-top? Oh yes.  But these are people who often suppressed their true selves for the first 15-20, and often 40+ years of their lives.  There are a lot of pent-up feelings and self-expression.  Suddenly you have a Gays Gone Wild video that is the amalgamation of homosexual energy culminating in one big parade.  For one weekend, YOU are the norm and the crazier, the better.  Life is a party and you're invited.  A few more clichés like that.

I would also like to point out an instance last year at Washington State University, where the College Republicans attempted to counter the concept of gay pride by selling "Straight Pride" t-shirts.

A picture I took of the t-shirts

I spoke with them as an objective observer and found their message was very negative and hostile, saying that the gays at WSU (I'm sorry, "gays at WSU" is kind of an oxymoron, as there is about a thimbleful of gay culture in Pullman, Washington) have been shoving their lifestyle down everyone's throats in a sea of political correctness.  I have zero inkling as to what they were referring, and I would digress to recap all of the instances in which "straight culture" and "straight lifestyles" are shoved down everyone's throats.  Straight culture is lived, experienced, and expressed every single day, everywhere you look.  Gay culture is lived and expressed on a very minimal basis and only in certain circles.  Straight people do not face hardship, rejection, and ridicule growing up based on their sexual orientation.  The word "straight" is not a popular slang word synonymous with "stupid," "lame," "unfortunate," or "undesirable."

I am not trying to whine; I am simply explaining why people need gay pride, why it is important, and why there is no such thing as straight pride.  To be honest, sometimes I forget that I am gay.  Or rather, I forget that there is an issue.  That is, until a scenario arises where I feel the ugly nudge of what it means to be different and living outside of the norm.  Examples:
• Being asked by a future employer why I moved to Eugene.  My boyfriend lives here, and I made a life-changing commitment to be with him.  My former water aerobics students were extremely adamant about this question.
• Being asked by a child if I'm married.  No, honey.. No.
• Having women mistake my friendliness for coming on to them.  Haha!
• Wanting to take a dance class with Greg, before realizing that two men obviously can't be paired together.
• Being introduced as Greg's friend.
• Greg and I being allowed to get married in 6 out of 50 states.  I guess I'm golden if I want to live in New England or Iowa... But I kind of like Oregon.

Despite all the bullshit, I'd still rather be gay.