I see a lot of gay pride flags and bumper stickers near where I live (which may be related to the fact that I’m only an hour south of San Francisco). So those individuals are proud to be gay. Okay. I don’t have any comments I’d like to publish on that topic right now. But the thing that has always come up in conversation with my friends about the gay pride flags and stickers has always been, “Why don’t we have a straight pride flag or a straight pride sticker?”
Well, we do now. So go pick one up if you’re proud to be straight. I’ve got mine on order right now, and I’ll let you know how it looks when it gets here. I don’t make a single penny off the sales of those things, so they’re as cheap as I was able to make them, the idea being that I want them to spread very far, very quickly.
Is this about gay bashing? No, no more than a gay pride sticker is about straight bashing. I’m just really happy that I’m straight. I love being straight, and I know there are a lot of other people out there who love being straight and would love to let the other motorists on the highway know that they love it. That’s what this is about.
This also isn’t meant to be a marketing gimmick wherein we can buy cute t-shirts to wear to high school. This is meant to be the official straight pride symbol, since I’m completely unaware of one existing, and I think we need one. Since it’s difficult to take a poll of all straight people (although that would sure be interesting) I decided to just go ahead and make the thing, and see what people thought.
That’s why it’s simple. It doesn’t need to have words on it; they’ll hear about and understand this sticker just like you heard and understood that the gay pride sticker wasn’t celebrating the end of Noah’s flood. It’s simple and symbolic, just like it needs to be. I’ve also got a simple graphic of what I suppose the straight pride flag would look like in the American-standard flag dimensions.
Enjoy! And if you know some people who are straight and proud of it, please email them this link. Thanks.
81 Comments
Uhh, where did you come up with this symbol? The rainbow flag makes sense for gay pride since it’s a spectrum, it’s meant to mean everybody, essentially. But an infinity symbol with red and blue? What’s that supposed to mean?
Well, the gay pride flag’s spectrum actually means “diversity.” But yeah.
I’d actually like to not answer this question at the moment and hear what you all see in it. It certainly does have meaning.
“Their rings are made of gold, a precious metal, symbolic of the value of their relationship. And the shape of the rings, a circle, an infinite loop of love…”
How many times have I heard that line at a wedding. Sheesh.
I think the symbolism is pretty obvious: the infinity symbol — unending love. I’m guessing the colors are intentional as well, red and blue separated signifying the individuals and coming together as purple.
Rather than the symbolism, I’d comment more on the execution and choices.
Seems like the infinity symbol is already loaded with plenty of meaning. You’re trying to attach another meaning to it, and I wonder how effective that will be (though I understand what you’re up against — there’s nothing new under the sun). You’re also giving a very specific form with the symbol and the specific colors. And the drop shadow? Part of the brilliance of the gay pride symbol is in its simplicity — a rainbow can take on many forms, thus be adopted to any number of bumper, window sticker, license plate frame, etc. type applications.
I’m actually more interested in the rational for wanting such a symbol. Most movements of this type are usually a response of the minority to identify and label themselves. Black Power and Gay Pride both come to mind. But you don’t see much about White Power (though the KKK might qualify). Usually the majority doesn’t feel a need to identify and label, simply because they are the majority. Maybe it’s becoming necessary because the majority is under attack or is being forgotten.
I’m not really saying anything here. It’s just interesting to think about.
Very interesting guesses in there, Kevin! I hadn’t thought of the tie-in with the symbol of the eternal love that comes with the wedding ring. I kinda like that. Of course, I don’t know that I technically agree with the “infinite” nature of married love, since I don’t think marriage will exist in heaven. But the infinity that I was originally referring to isn’t necessarily true infinity either.
The infinity symbol is pretty loaded, and I like it for that reason. It’s important to this flag. That’s obvious, since it dominates the design.
On the drop shadow: Kevin, you’re totally right. The drop shadow brings a certain amount of impurity to the otherwise-simple flag. I sat there staring at the Photoshop document last night, adding the shadow, removing the shadow, adding the shadow, removing the shadow. I finally decided that for at least this particular incarnation, it would stay on because it brings a certain amount of visual interest to the design. It’s just more interesting to look at when the shadow is there. Your eyes go back and forth over it, and it feels good. I would expect that if and when this symbol is adopted elsewhere, the shadow would be an optional, non-essential part of it.
The comments on majority/minority are, I think, what make this interesting. I think the majority does need to be proud. I don’t think we should be too aware of how big or small we are, but rather we should be aware of what we are, and why.
I hope this is nothing akin to the KKK! I highly doubt you were trying to make a comparison since we both know how we both feel about the KKK, but I had to throw that statement out for the readers who don’t know me well.
I’d also like some ideas on how to spread knowledge of this a little further, if you don’t mind. I would like more people to see it.
Here’s my rationale for the flag:
It is clearly a representation of the deceptive and evil dinosaur, Barney⦠with 3-D glasses on. The glasses hold two purposes:
1. They cover up that freaky, unnatural and hypnotic âlove gaze,â for which most us are grateful (probably even more than 90% of us).
-and-
2. They stress the transformation of a stale, two-dimensional âloveâ into a lively and purified 3-D love. Barneyâs cliché song slides from describing something no better than a China Garden menu option to illuminating the essence of what makes marriage sacred and beautiful and families truly happy. Since God is in a dimension all His own Barneyâs glasses also emphasize that marriage-love, the kind that reflects Jesus and His church, is deeper than a simple âI love you, you love me.â It unveils the Unitarian film from the Holy and Sacred and presents to us, in full color and life, Godâs grace through the beauty of procreation. The ultimate idea is that if there is hope for a stupid, purple dinosaur, then why not humanity?
Boy, do I know you, Josh, or what?
Whoa, Eddie! That’s totally it!
Oh, wait. No. But if anyone needs a good conspiracy theorist, we all now know who to ask for ideas.
Nice 3D glasses idea. I didn’t see that originally. It also looks a little like a superhero’s mask or something, doesn’t it? Well, Barney’s no superhero, but, you know.
I think I should probably explain one thing so I don’t lose everyone: the reason I’m not explaining what my original intentions were symbolically with this flag design isn’t because my idea is so great and I’m trying to build a buzz.
On the contrary, some of the ideas I’ve heard on this blog and in email have been a bit better than mine here and there. The reason I’m not saying anything right now is because I want to know what the impressions of the average joe would be on the meaning of the flag if no one told them what it meant. So I guess I’m kind of experimenting on you. So I want to hear all your opinions, but I especially want to hear what ran through your head if you’re really unsure as to what it might mean. All the little ideas that pop up but don’t necessarily go anywhere.
I’ll explain what I was thinking when I made the flag on Wednesday, right here.
So you’re sayin’ we’re all ‘average joe’s,’ eh?
Hey Josh,
I like the flag idea… but don’t care for the flag very much. Purple? Come on man!, I can’t put a purple sticker on my car… What kind of man drives around with a purple sticker… unless there is a Vikings helmet somewhere on it I guess.
I wish the flag had no meaning behind it… now that would be interesting. Perhaps that is what the meaning is in the symbol… no meaning?
Mike
Minnesota
No, this is the Straight Pride flag, not the Nihilist Pride flag.
Aside from that, I think a deep, dark purple can be a very beautiful color for men or women, depending on how it’s used. The Vikings are a fine example.
Ok, so you’d like it to have a meaning… I’ll go with it. But it still doesn’t address the issue of a man driving around with a purple sticker on his car
…
I’d also point out that most symbols are of a more basic nature, meaning for the present example you’d want to strip it down to just the infinity symbol. Think of all the symbols out there associated with various causes — for the most part they are a very basic symbol: the cross, the fish, the peace symbol, the artist once known as a symbol, even the gay pride rainbow. For the most part the form is more important than color (and in the case of the gay pride rainbow, color is more important than form).
I think before this thing can spread far and wide you need a lot more thought into the actual symbol and what it means. I’m guessing you’re going to give us more of that soon, but that would really need to drive this thing. At this point I don’t think you have a powerful enough symbol about a powerful enough idea to go anywhere — though that’s just my take. I think you’d run into a lot more comment and controversey over the need for the symbol than you’d expect.
That’s my two more cents. (I might be up to a nickel’s worth now)
I was just thinking, isn’t the gay pride symbol kind of ironic (don’cha think)? It’s a rainbow, representing diversity, yet homosexuality stresses sameness. I mean, in the name: ‘same’-sexual. On top of that is the irony of using a symbol already taken by One who created sexuality and was a sign that He won’t destroy the world again by flood. I’m sure these thoughts aren’t new, but it’s almost like rain on your wedding day, or a free ride when y… oh, wait… wrong kind of irony.
Doesn’t the infinity symbol traditionally also hold the connotation of “two becoming one”? The sign itself is really a twisted circle made into two (imperfect circles), neither of which are higher than the other. The idea of the infinty circle also crosses over into quantum physical and is thought to hold some key to time travel/worm holes: if you cut out a cirle in a piece of paper and fold that circle over, you have the infinity sign. Then, if you trace your finger over the surface you will end up back from where you started only your finger would have travelled on both sides of the paper. I don’t see how that ties in with your flag, so nevermind that.
One thing this conversation is reminding me of (it’s probably just the discussion of flags and gender) is a line from a They Might Be Giants song, “How can I sing like a girl”: I want to raise my freak flag higher and higher…and never be alone. It does bring up ideas of gender and while hinting at issues of acceptance… Hmmmm. Discuss amongst yourselves.
You know, Josh, it seems like I go on these blog binges where I don’t write much for a while and then BLAM! I can’t seem to restrain from sharing my tangential thoughts. Oh well.
In regards to the need to simplify the symbol down to the infinity symbol without the colors… no. I mean, look at our flag. 13 stripes of alternating colors and fifty stars. Nothing simple about that. But it’s a symbol that is printed and duplicated all over. This flag is much, much simpler than that. It only has four colors, as opposed to the six of the Gay Pride flag. Yes, the infinity symbol is curvy and all, but the overall value of it is extremely simple. If it was possible to simplify it down more and still maintain the idea behind the infinity symbol, I would do that, but I haven’t thought of a good way to do it, so I haven’t.
As far as the symbol not being meaningful enough, I’m curious to know how you know that without knowing what it means.
Is the rainbow meaningful? I would be willing to bet that before the Gay Pride movement you never would have thought of the word “diversity” when looking at a rainbow. It was the promise of God to never flood Earth again, but not “diversity.” Now I’m betting most people (even Christians) think of they Gay Pride movement when they see something sporting all the rainbow colors in order before they think of the flood. I’m not claiming that this will forever change the way everyone sees the infinity symbol (although it would be great if it could). I’m simply saying it’s too early to make that call. Way, way too early.
I agree that this will almost certainly create controversy if it becomes more well-known, and that’s a sad indicator of the state of our culture. I’m not allowed to be proud to be straight? That’s just stupid. It doesn’t matter how many straight people there are. Shame and persecution is not the only soil in which healthy pride grows.
You don’t earn pride by having people throw rocks at you and spit on you. You can simply be proud of what you are without having to be in the minority and without having to be persecuted for it. That’s part of the lesson in this. There’s a ridiculous idea floating at the back of the liberal American mindset that says that the majority can’t be proud. That’s wrong.
Eddie, interesting comments on the root of meaning of the “homo” and “hetero” prefixes, and the fact that “hetero” is actually the one that means “diverse.” I think that homosexuals are claiming that they are bringing diversity by creating more than one sexual preference, but not that they are necessarily diverse from their sexual partners. Does that explanation make more sense? That’s my guess.
And your next guess is also interesting and very wrong.
I think most of you are thinking a little too hard about this. It’s simpler than the ideas you’re proposing.
Josh, yeah, I understand the use of a rainbow to express more sexual choices. I was just saying it was ironic.
Here’s another guess:
Does the use of “infinity” suggest that “time will tell,” that ultimately God’s Truth will reign, and forever?
Well, I’ve seen a lot of interesting guesses come in, but I’m very surprised no one actually guessed what my original meaning was behind the infinity symbol. Perhaps it was that some of you felt it was so obvious that it wasn’t worth guessing? I don’t know. I’ll explain the symbol and colors here from my perspective.
When I decided to make the flag, the first question I asked myself when searching for a symbol was “What is it that is unique about heterosexuality when compared to all the other ‘lifestyle choices?’” It seems that it’s what is unique about heterosexuality that would be flagworthy, and perhaps most celebrated. So, what’s unique? I know that I could have taken this in many different directions, and I decided right off the bat that I was not going to make a religious statement with this flag. That decision was originally conciliatory, but I stuck by it because deep theology is difficult to simplify to flag-level communication.
So what was I left with? Simple facts, really. Heterosexuality is the only self-supporting system amongst all the “lifestyle choices.” Men and women work together to make more men and women, who work together to make more men and women, and that can go on infinitely. That’s what the infinity symbol means. In two words: we breed. (Certainly you’ve heard “straights” referred to as “breeders” haven’t you?) All the other lifestyle choices require some kind of medical/technological help (a sort of techno-crutch) to prop them up, because their system is not self-propagating. Put another way: all humans that ever existed (with the exception of three, if my count is right) were created by some kind of union between a man and a woman, whether than union be natural or technical. Even so, once that fact is no longer true (once cloning or some other thing hits the scene) the observance that the methods necessary to create humans without such a union are comparably obscure and non-automatic will still be true. So that’s what’s unique about heterosexuality amongst the set of things from which I had to choose.
I should probably also state that the comments in the previous paragraph aren’t meant to be inflammatory in any way, although I’m saddened by the fact that I can realistically imagine somebody being upset by them. Everything I’ve said in the previous paragraph was fact, not opinion. Hopefully that will keep everyone a little calmer about such an odd observance.
If you imagine the blue section (a.k.a “male”) and the red section (a.k.a “female”) as being independent circles that have drifted toward one another and attached, you’ll see that their attaching and entanglement creates the infinity symbol.
Yes, purple is a combination of red and blue. It’s also my favorite color, but that’s neither here nor there.
This is important: I did not attempt to define what was most precious or most important about heterosexuality. I’m not saying that the point of heterosexuality is to breed. Please, don’t misunderstand me. If I thought that, I’d feel pretty miserable since Steph (my wife) and I have had three miscarriages and no living kids. I’m only saying that it is an interesting characteristic of heterosexuality that the other lifestyle choices cannot duplicate. And it makes me proud to be straight!
So there you have it. I’d say that’s a decent symbol.
Being a total stranger to you, I’ll give my opinion anyway.
I like the infintiy and the red and blue but I don’t see the purpose in the purple… I think it would be more transportable if there was no definitive background. For the flag, since it needs a background purple’s fine but I would probably choose white myself. Less color clashes. Unless the purple is extremely important then leave it in. It’s not that bad.
I thought about white, but it would blend in with the white of the Infinity symbol too much, and I really like the Infinity being white, which could symbolize purity and perfection I guess, but I just chose white because I like white.
Since you’re the second person who has brought up the purple, I may reconsider that part, but I also like the fact that purple is red and blue combined, which adds to the meaning.
What does everyone have against purple?!?
Since you are making the point of the infinity sign being two circle coming together maybe you should draw a little tail (hehehe).
Anyway, I think I agree about the purple. I think even black would be better. Even though it is only three colors and white it seems too complex or crowded or, yes, clashing. It isn’t horrible, though. Maybe a dark gray? Also, I would agree to take out the shadow. The original should be bare bones and then can evolve from there(kind of like the Christian Fish. Just Kidding).
I don’t think your reasoning is as obvious as you thought. AS you said there are a lot of things unique about heterosexuality and yours isn’t the most obvious. Granted, most of them are tied into Christianity and you seem to want to make the statment as nonflammatory as possible, but also as you said, breeding no longer is privvy to sex between a man and a woman. Your flag would have been more appropriate a century ago. Also, your flag’s meaning would also include bisexuals and homosexuals of opposite sex that come together to have a child (I’ve known of some). So simple “breeding” is not simply heterosexual.
I think you have a good reason for having a flag, but I’m not sure if this is it. It doesn’t seem to stick. But then again, maybe all flags started out this way…
As an English teacher I am not following my policy of proof reading my final copies. My first comment should have “on one of them” between “tail” and “hehehe”. Sorry.
Interesting ideas on color, Eddie. I don’t mind the idea of a dark grey. I’ll try that. I’ll also try drop-shadowless.
You said:
LOL
I don’t think so. The things you named are only technicalities and anecdotal cracks in my otherwise-correct statement.
Homosexuals of the opposite sex who come together to have a child and bisexuals prove my point. They have to become “temporarily straight” in order to have a child. Bisexuals are both homosexual and heterosexual, so if you’re right about them, it’s only in that they are able to breed when acting like heterosexuals. Obviously anyone can pretend to be a heterosexual for awhile and breed. What I’m saying is that heterosexual actions are necessary in order to breed. They can’t be 100% pure to their lifestyle choice and have a normal child. They have to compromise and come over to the hetero side of the fence to get their business done. You need sperm and you need a womb. Those only exist in one place each.
I’m not sure this would have been useful even a century ago. A heterosexual commitment, either through marriage or common law marriage has never, ever, EVER been the exclusive way for humans to procreate. Relationships of convenience, which Eddie describes above, have taken place for centuries- I suppose it’s just a low tech ‘techno-crutch.’ Moreover, I’m not sure it makes any sense to look at these relationships as pertaining to distinct systems. Heterosexual parents sometimes raise gay children, and gay parents raise heterosexual children. Everyone lives together, works together. Besides the relationships of convenience, people occasionally have experiences outside their normal gender preference. The categories are usually not discrete and the ‘systems’ are not enclosed.
I’m just not getting why this is so important, if it is not intended to be exclusionary. How is this different from white pride movements? You have taken great pains to be neutral about this and I respect that, but from a perception stand-point, it is a losing battle. Majority empowerment movements are usually nothing BUT bashing. And attributing suspicion of moves like this to liberal mythology sounds a little paranoid. The great advantage to being in the majority is that pride is unnecessary: no one seriously denigrates heterosexuality. It’s like pride in being a brunette or pride in being right handed- especially in light of the fact that the reproduction advantage is not limited to heterosexual relationships. So, this sort of thing looks like an oblique way of opposing minority pride movements- particularly when it’s an identity politics issue such as race or sexual orientation. And in this case it seems a little mean-spirited. Maybe even a lot, given the privilege that heterosexual people have and will continue to enjoy by dint of comprising the VAST majority of the world’s population.
Hahaha, Josh. For future reference, maybe you should wait until you are old and wise before making such broad generalizations about the nature of sexuality and humanity. Also, sexual intercourse between a male and a female is not the same as heterosexual sex. Here’s an example:
Also, keep track of some of the more recent advances in fertility science: sperm, more specifically, DNA containing an X chromosome, is no longer necessary in mammalian reproduction.
Oh man, here we go.
First off, I appreciate the time you guys have taken to actually read the thoughts I and the rest of us have posted here. It’s actually very flattering that you would take me so seriously, and I appreciate it.
In the case of a lesbian woman being raped by a man, I’d say that’s pretty far outside the sphere of sexual interaction. Rape isn’t a sexual act or an act of procreation, it’s an act of violence, and does not fit into this discussion. Correct my impure rhythm indeed.
Yes, I’ve heard of the recent discoveries in blah blah. I think you’re misunderstanding what I’m saying, and that’s probably my fault. What I’m saying is not that it is completely impossible to create a baby without classic heterosexual sex. What I’m saying is that in order to create a baby any other way, you have to do all the things you’ve all gone to great pains to remind me of in the posts above. The exception proves the rule. There’s no other easy way to do it. That’s my point.
Meg, I have to eat dinner now, but I’ll respond to your comments soon.
If a birth results from a rape, violent as it may be, that’s procreation. There’s no other way about that.
What I’m trying to say is that your equating the act of a man and a woman having a child together is the result of “classic heterosexual sex.” I’m saying that a man can have sex with a woman, and they can produce a child, and they can both be homosexual. Let’s flip this around to see if it makes more sense the other way – which I don’t think it will – and Josh, I’m using you as an example. If you don’t like that, modify the comment if you wish: Josh, a heterosexual, has sex with a man. Before the sex, during the sex, and after the sex, Josh is a heterosexual. He doesn’t become gay for a moment – that’s just not how his heterosexual brain functions.
The more I think about this entry, the more I feel that a few misunderstandings are only getting worse.
Ummm…before we’re totally off to the races, I agree with Dave that sexuality is not conclusively compartmentalized for most people. Also, I don’t think people become temporarily straight if they self-identify as gay but engage in an act of heterosexual sex. However, the rape example is highly inappropriate and irrelevant for the reasons that Josh states.
I don’t understand why the rape comment is invalid or inappropriate, and since both Josh and Meg feel that it is so, I’m beginning to doubt my logic. Meg, if you have the time, I would appreciate an email (because we can’t deal with rape and homosexuality in one post – Josh’s blog will start getting a lot of unwanted traffic!) from you for my moral edification.
I’m sorry for offending anyone – I thought an extreme example would carry my message more clearly.
Well Josh. Lets start over at the whole straight pride. People have “gay pride” because gay people are ostracized daily. Nevertheless, they are of a minority. they are homesexuals living in a hetrosexual world. Also, people think that being gay is shameful and embarrassing, therefore who would want pride in that? Well these people who have gay pride are strong and support the gay community. Do you hear straight people being ostracized? Are straight people of a minority? Would you say straight people are opressed? In all sense, it is much harder for a gay person to be proud of who they are rather than a straight person. Just think before your write next time. I think someone should put you on blogging probation.
You know, Josh, I think I know where you’re coming from with all of this. Here’s an observation I made recently concerning the matters we’ve been discussing:
My school has many student groups that seek to promote equality, diversity, and human rights. One of these groups is GSA, the Gay-Straight Alliance. I am not a member of this group because I disagree with certain fundamental aspects of what it means to have an alliance with anyone, straight or gay, but this isn’t my point. GSA had t-shirts made for its members. On the t-shirts are two lines: one line is curvy and awesome with the words “gay” above it; the other line is straight and plain, above the boring line lies the word “straight.” Yes, I am a straight man, but am I a boring, two-dimensional line? I think not!
Personally i feel that a straight pride symbol is unnecessary and detrimental to the progress that is being made by humanity regarding the latest issues of civil rights. In my opinion a symbol or anything that unites straights and isolates the glbt population gives bigots something to feed off of and does basically does nothing else. So what if someone is proud of being straight, they are sacrificing nothing by stating so. If a gay person says, “HEY I’m gay and i don’t care what you think because that’s who i am and i’m proud of what i contribute to the world,” then they openly are making a statement which may endanger him/ or her and they are making a conscious choice by putting associating with such a symbol that says, “bring all you’ve got you can’t change me.” A straight pride symbol does nothing. There is no danger; nothing is added to the world. It’s wasted space, wasted money and basic idiocy. They might as well have a “people with arms unite” symbol. In any case you just isolate someone who are faultless and just fighting for a place in society they rightfully deserve.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
Okay, I’m fine now. Thanks.
I’m interested to know how some of you are finding my blog. I wonder if I’m going to get a crazy flood of posts. Eventually if it becomes too much I’ll have to just close it down and say that it was interesting, which would be unfortunate, but what am I to do? I don’t want to start a flame war here.
Jake, I didn’t make any claims (that I can recall) that it is easy to be gay. I wouldn’t know how easy it is. I’m sure it’s not a piece of cake. I belong to a few groups that are certainly not championed. I can only imagine being gay is even harder.
Dave, I think you hit the nail on the head, or at least very close to it, and you’ve gotten the gist of what I’m trying to do here. I’m trying to point out that there is a distinct difference between pride and elitism. It’s possible to be proud of what you are without thinking what you are is better. It’s possible to be proud of what you are even if there is an “opposing” group that is considered to be oppressed, without thinking that you’re categorically above them. Another example, bringing back the whole KKK thing. There’s a difference between being proud of being white, loving the white race, etc, and thinking that it’s better to be white than something else, or thinking some other race is “below” the white race.
Summarized in once sentence: You can love what you are without malice towards what you aren’t.
Moreover, the line between pride in what you are and elitism in what you are is sufficiently clear that you don’t have to be paranoid of pride. It’s as though people are afraid that if they decide to be proud, that suddenly they’ll discover they’re racist or sexist or some other kind of “ist” because it snuck up on them when they weren’t looking!
Beyond that, I do sometimes tire of single-sided pride campaigns. I figure that if gay people have the right to share their sexual orientation with me as they drive in front of me on the highway, it’s no crime for me to do the same. In fact, it’s the exact same act. Their societal standing is meaningless. Everyone’s rights are the same regardless of their “advantage” or “disadvantage.”
Meg, that’s why this is important. Because people don’t understand that majority pride movements can be OK if they’re done correctly, and that it’s OK for the majority to be proud. Gay people can be proud without malice toward me. I can do the same. We’re all equal, right?
Right?
hey josh,
This is a pretty heated/loaded topic, so im’a tell you what i think. I go to an arts high school, so I am friends with a bunch of art kids who do all kinds of crazy sex stuff. We have gay kids, straight kids, bisexual kids, transexual kids, just about every combination of sexual orientation you can think of goes at my school. These arent even the more “normal-ish” types of whatever sex-people. These are ones with all kinds of other personality disorders and complexes (bi-polar, depression, eating disorders, anti-social tendencies, cutters, heavy drug use on some hard stuff… yeah, its a charming lot).
But actually, we are a charming lot. Everyone seems to get along with eachother. This school has been open 15 years and there has never been one fight. Ever. The fact that I am friends with these people is awesome. They are so tallented it is almost scary. There are several art areas that you can “major” (fine arts, music, theatre, dance, media) because the school has a state-wide draw, it attracts a high ammount of tallented people. I take pride in the work I do there. I take pride in the work my friends do there. I am straight. My friends are everybody.
The point being: I have gay pride, and im not even gay. This does not fall under the “gsa thing” that is a bunch of crap and is only needed in the south or other places where you fnid a high concentration of right-wing, conservitive jerk offs.
The point is that if we need a “straight pride” symbol or flag or icon (or whatever it has become), do we need a straight-gay pride symbol? or a straight-bi pride flag, or a gay-straight pride sticker? Or should I just get a gay pride sticker and a straight pride sticker… you know what, bumper stickers look tacky as hell. I dont want any. At all. Plus who cares if I have straight pride, I have nothing to prove and nothing to disprove. Just because I find women attractive and men sexually repulsive doesent mean I need to let joe blow sitting behind me in rush-hour traffic know that too. You know what elese… TO HELL WITH THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT. These ultra-christian fools who are constantly throwing their bibles in your direction… keep your cross out of my face or i will break it over your head.
Organized religion is so misguided. It is to political, and I have really stopped careing. I hope I havent come off as a closed minded ass-clown, (if i did, i dont really care) but this is what i think about that. Props on the good topic of conversation, you know how to pick em. peace, robbie
Also, why do you censor the comments on your blog. It may seem “crass” or “lack class” to your eyes, but sometimes an F-bomb just expresses how you really feel. You proilly wont do anything about it, but if you do, you would get respect points from at least one person. This is your BLOG man, you dont need to comply to FCC guidelines or censorship lasw, you are the steward and can do what you please.
Ask yourself why you’re choosing to express your straight pride. If the gay pride movement had never produced the bumper stickers and the rainbows, would you still be seeking to create a straight pride symbol? Would you still be proud to be straight? I bet my life a hundred times over that your symbol is first and foremost a retaliation against the gay pride movement (whether you know this or not) and it is not primarily motivated by the pride you may or may not have in being straight. To take this a step further (I tend to do that), do you know why the KKK didn’t exist in the heyday of the enslavement of blacks in the United States? Was it because white people didn’t have their pride yet? Hmm… (Josh, I’m not saying the straight pride movement and the KKK are one in the same; I’m simply trying to seem opinionated, educated, and funny.)
Man, I’m starting to regret this whole thing. But I’m glad it’s making me think, and I’m glad that it appears to be making others think too, so we’ll let it run for awhile longer.
Robbie, if you’re so tolerant, I suggest you use some of that tolerance for the “religious right.” I’m sure they would appreciate it, and I’m sure you’d be better for it.
Also, I made the choice to censor certain words on my blog. I know people’s posts don’t have to comply with FCC rules. They have to comply with my rules, and those are my rules. I find that when you take people’s expletives away, it forces them to rethink and express more clearly. Expletives are a verbal crutch. I don’t want anyone on verbal crutches on this blog. No one has a broken verbalizer.
Dang, that’s the second crutch reference in this entry. Sorry, I’ll stop that now.
Dave, I think you’re partially right. This is partially reactionary. Not purely, but partially. I would have always been proud to be straight, but I never would have made a sticker out of it if someone else hadn’t thought of putting their pride into sticker form. But I think it’s a great idea, don’t you? I mean, a sticker! That’s a great way to express my sexual orientation.
Retaliation? Well, no. Retalliation would have to somehow cut against or devalue what they’re doing, wouldn’t it? I don’t think this does that.
I agree with Josh when he suggests that Robbie be a bit more tolerant with the religious; however, when someone tells me I’m going to burn in hell because I don’t pray to their God, I don’t feel I owe them any respect whatsoever.
Josh, DO NOT REGRET THIS ENTRY. It’s the most fun I’ve had all week!
By the way, check out http://www.threadless.com/. You could submit your design. I won’t vote for it, but you could submit it
Dave, thanks for the link (sweet site) and the encouragement. (I tried to respond to your email, but it bounces back.)
As far as respect goes, it seems to me that at its most basic level, respect is something you give to everyone regardless of how they treat you. True, you can have higher amounts of respect for people based on what you learn about them as you get to know them, but I don’t know that it’s a good idea to go below a certain level based on behavior.
As odd as it may sound, the bible thumpers actually care about you, and they’re trying to tell you about something that matters more to them than life itself. They want you to find the relationship with God that they’ve found, and they’re using tactics that they believe will increase the chance that you’ll see things their way. If they didn’t care about you or hated you, they would stay silent. The fact that they’re really horrible communicators, culturally speaking, is a separate issue. But that’s not at all what this thread is about. I probably shouldn’t have even responded to that, but I couldn’t help it! Sorry.
Oh! We talked about a new background color, and the removal of the drop shadow. So… check it out and voice your opinion.
Last comment for the night: I’ve been thinking about the SNAFU surrounding a phrase I so poorly chose, namely the “temporarily straight” phrase. That phrase sucked and failed miserably at communicating what I was trying to say. I’d like to withdraw it and replace it with the following statement of clarification, just in case we weren’t clear on this stuff:
Procreation requires one of two things:
Everyone has to resort to one of those two methods to make a baby. If you use way #1, you are acting (temporarily or not) as a straight person would act. If you use way #2, you are mimicking the conditions found in way #1.
I understand that any man and woman can get together and do way #1, regardless of their orientation. But the fact of the matter is, it’s a man, and it’s a woman. That’s my point. They’re limited to that option, or mimicking that option. There’s no other way.
Put another way, “Sperm plus egg” is a fundamentally heterosexual concept, regardless of who uses the method.
Josh, like the design of the new flag.
I do have to say I amazed at what has transpired over night…but not too amazed considering the subject matter. I’m probably more surprised at how civil it has remained.
Here’s a thought: If this flag catches on and bumbpers across the nation/world bear your sticker you greatly run the risk of it being misunderstood and misused. Your intentions I know are wholesome, but because it can be so easily used against what you’ve intended it may not be best to mass produce it. One thing that would be important to include with the sale, in any case, is a VERY clear explanation of your intentions while keeping in mind that the Swastika was once a respected version of the Christian cross.
The only other problem I can think of is that when you post on your blog about your “Straight Pride” sticker people can read and respond. Dialogue is a possible. On the road it is not so likely and can be easily, easily misunderstood. But even if you take great care to ensure it’s meaning you will always have some nut trying to justify his/her extremist viewpoint.
But, boy, is it a statment! Maybe you could get a tatoo of it!!! On the back of your white, bald head
Josh, I have to agree with Eddie’s latest post, and use it as a starting point. I will reserve my thoughts about whether a straight pride symbol is necessary or beneficial, but I have been thinking the last couple days about the nature of symbols.
Symbols, at least effective public symbols, are not long tied to their original meaning. Does anyone think of the Greek god Mars (Nike) and his winged feet when they see a Nike swoosh? Or, as Eddie mentioned, a Christian cross when they see a swastika? More recently, many American Southerners have tried to promote the use of the Confederate flag as a symbol of southern pride. Now, we can give them the benefit of the doubt and say that there are southerners for whom the Confederate flag is exactly a symbol of healthy pride in who they are, with malice toward none. The problem is that publicly recognized symbols cannot be restricted so easily. For many people, the Confederate flag represents some of the worst abuses in American history. Its presence is a source of sadness and rage, and the message of southern healthy pride is lost. All that is seen is the history of unhealthy pride.
And this is (partially) why I think a straight pride icon, conceived with the best of intentions, will much too easily become an instrument of hate and malice. What you intend as a symbol of healthy pride can too easily be co opted into a symbol of unhealthy pride.
I am reminded of the scientists who worked on the early stages of the Manhattan project. Most of them were simply pushing the bounds of knowledge, exploring the universe, taking joy in new discoveries. After the first atomic tests, and even more so after Hiroshima and Nagasaki, many were deeply grieved by what had become of their healthy exploration of the world around them. Sometimes the best of intentions, the healthiest of motives, and the most innocent of ideas can be devastating, destructive, and divisive.
I do not want to see you grieved, Josh, by what this image could become.
<comicbookguy> Oh, yes yes, and if Jesus had died on a less-iconic torture device, perhaps the crusades would never have happened.
Right now, there are thousands upon thousands of people teaming with hatred towards gays who would love to express that hatred, but they just can’t find the time to open up Photoshop for 15 minutes. </comicbookguy>
With all due respect guys, that’s ridiculous.
Eddie was right about one thing: it’s the words accompanying a symbol that are important. As soon as someone starts preaching/teaching hatred, the sin has been done. I’m not doing that, and I can’t stop that from happening whether I pull my flag or not.
Josh, I think I see where you’re coming from on this. I haven’t thought this through, but I suppose my reservations are probably based on the reasons that Tim and Eddie discuss: the possibility that a straight pride symbol will get twisted, in spite of your good intentions and best efforts to do it right. Also, I just don’t see the need for it, so for me, the cost benefit analysis weighs in favor of no flag. That is to say, the potential harm done by such a symbol galvanizing gay-bashers and homophobes is greater than the possible benefit to be gained from publicizing one’s enjoyment of majority status.
My reservations also stem from the fact that sexual orientation is a close analog for race, in my view. I know that there is little hope that S/O would be a Title VII category, but it has the same ‘immutable characteristic’ quality that race and sex do, if only because I have never really known anyone who has selected their sexual preference anymore than I have known anyone who has selected their race. So. I am concerned about discrimination against minority groups such as these. Highlighting the majority/minority divide makes me uncomfortable because we’re stuck with our groups and being in the minority is disadvantageous. While I was going to agree that we are all equal, I kind of talked myself out of it. Equal is a state of mind, and if you’re in the minority, you do not generally enjoy equality of anything. I’m not really up on the what gay pride stickers mean to most of the people who have them, but my guess is that they are at least as much about solidarity and safety in numbers as they are about pride. By contrast, a majority pride sticker of whatever stripe would just seem to draw attention to an existing dominance. So maybe minority groups need open identification of their pride movements more than majority groups.
By the way, I found your blog via Steph’s, whose blog I found via the FLHS alumni page that Don Berry’s mom runs because I am also a FLHS ’97 alumna. I love the internet, halftime is over, GO WOLVES!
I think we can clearly see that pride in any form holds great potential to hurt ourselves as well as those around us. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for everyone in this world knowing their true selves and finding happiness in that but when we translate that into an opportunity to “toot our own horn” we risk hurting alot of poeple. Josh, I understand your frustration at having someones sexual oreientation thrust in your face daily and I admire your ability to handle such a delicate and heated debate. Perhaps instead of fighting fire with fire we should look at these symbols as a cry for recogntition and respond as such.
“pride in any form holds great potential to hurt ourselves as well as those around us”. Hmm. Sounds biblical.
The Truth is what it is.
“pride in any form holds great potential to hurt ourselves as well as those around us”
I think you’re misunderstanding what pride is. I’m not talking about “pride cometh before a fall” kind of pride, or even “toot our own horn” kind of pride. I’m talking about “pride in your work” kind of pride, or “pride in your family” kind of pride. This is just pride in who/what you are. It’s just a gladness, not a negative thing.
More later.
The rainbow flag precedes the gay pride movement, and indeed originally stood for diversity (which, IMHO, is really no different than saying it stands for all of us).
Yes, the rainbow itself has been an obvious symbol of diversity since ancient times. What else do you call not having to fear a God that will kill us if we don’t “measure-up” or conform to a nearly impossible standard, except a celebration of diversity (for none of us measure up, except, I guess, Noah and a few other rock-stars, but together us sinners, us “don’t deserve to lives”, we make a bright white light).
The color purple stood for royalty for thousands of years because in ancient times, purple dyes were too expensive for any but the richest.
In recent times, purple stands for homosexuality. (Don’t know what the tie-in is with gays and royalty — vis a vis “Queen”, “Princess” & etc. — maybe it is the contemporary American disdain for both? Only in Minneapolis would there be a football team nicknamed “The Queens” who prance around in purple and cave when the pressure is on???)
As a devout celebrant of diversity, I could understand why gays, most of whom have been persecuted throughout their lives as “don’t deserve to live” would coopt the diversity flag, but I am not happy about the fact that a flag that is supposed to belong to all of us now is “theirs”, and has a lesser meaning than it once had.
A friend of mine is gay, and at more than one of her parties I was one of a few token “heteros”, and much fun was had with this by many — kind of tiresome, but it was refreshing to many of them that I was a good sport about it. In this vein, she was joking about how not just purple, but now *all* of the colors belong to homos, and what do heteros have? — black and white.
I was offended by that remark.
On the other hand, the woman who made it is a very loving woman who has been wounded deeply by many in her life, so it was easy enough to forgive her, but it illustrates my issue with most of my experience of the whole “gay pride” thing — that it often is just another expression of “us vs. them”.
Speaking of “us vs. them”: one of the trendy things out here is for so-called “Christians” to show up at the funerals of openly gay people, and spit and throw things, with foul insults mixed with Bible verses, etc. on the people that are trying to grieve their lost loved ones. (My God, I think of the times I’ve lost loved ones, and try to imagine being spit on for it then…)
In response to that ridiculously rude behavior, people have organized “guardian angels” — volunteers who form a line wearing oversized-angel-wings that shield the mourners from the abuse. In my world, that’s where my brother Joshua is standing, and to walk a closer walk with Him, I will jump at the chance to be spit on by these pseudo-christians, who, rather than admit their own sins, choose to scapegoat others.
And if I have the guts to do that, maybe, just maybe, the word will leak out to a few who otherwise would never have a chance at knowing, that Christianity isn’t really about the shame and hate and stones and spit and Bible thumping.
As for the “straight pride” flag, only this:
Who in hell does it serve?
Vaguely on topic, and perhaps somewhat in response to Dan’s comment: a story.
So I’ve got a Nalgene with several stickers on it that I carry around. Along with a Yu-Gi-Oh sticker and a sticker for a friend’s band is a rainbow flag design with the word “Friendly” written accross it in White letters. I was once asked by a few of the lesbians that I know, why it had the word “friendly” on it….the assumption being that a rainbow flag denoted not so much “gay-pride” in a “I’m proud that I’m gay” but more a tolerance and acceptance of the range of sexual orientations. They seemed surprised that anyone would assume the rainbow flag was “only for gays.”
Of course, it’s rather anecdotal evidence, but it’s what I know of the subject.
By the way, about the sticker. I explained that I’d gotten it because I worked in the school system and it was meant to identify staff members who were “friendly,” non-judgemental, and willing to talk to students struggling with issues of sexual identity and orientation. Everyone was cool with that.
This is like wearing a white pride flag.
You have a straight pride flag; it’s called the American flag — and until you people are willing to share it with the rest of us, we’re gonna have our own flags. get it? good.
For me, personally, the
idea of the thing does not resonate. I see / feel no need for it. So – I guess
I really have no OPINION. It’s a cool concept – that the individual thought
of something that’s not been done before. All power to him.
I can’t help but feel it is unneccessary (OH! I guess I DO have an opinion)
That, like all lables, it serves to separate people, rather than unite. One
could say the Rainbow serves to unite gays, or whatever. True – but humanity
gets all divided into these micro-groups. Personally, me no like that. It’s
keeps people stuck on surface, not the depth of life experiences and shared
emotions that unite all humans.
Wasn’t this already done? I mean, in the color spectrum, red and blue are opposites (at least, when light is split through a prism). This symbol reminds me of the yin-yang symbol. The balance of nature. Good/Evil…Light/Dark…Red/Blue…Am I way off on this?
Lisa, I have no idea what your comment meant. America is straight? I don’t see that at all.
CousinDave, I’ve explained the meaning of the colors as they relate to my flag in the comments above. Yes, unfortunately you have to read the whole thing!
It’s good for you, like asparagus! If you’re speaking of “opposites” in the color wheel, red is actually opposite a turquoise-ish color, and blue is opposite yellow.
Ellen, excellent point on the power of symbols to divide. I’ll come back to that in a bit.
Dan, excellent question: Who does it serve? That’s probably the most poignant question that has been asked yet, in my opinion. So I think at this point I should reveal what I’m really trying to do.
None of this is about a flag or a sticker. It never was. I got the bumper sticker in the mail today. It’s surprisingly well made. I’m probably not going to put it on my car.
What I’m seeing here is that the opinions in this group have divided into two sections, somewhat well defined, but not perfectly separated. Those two groups seem to fall along these lines:
Group #1: People who would rather that neither group (gays or straights) fly any flags or have “pride” (possibly because symbols and pride are divisive)
Group #2: People who would prefer that only whatever group is in the minority (if any) fly a flag or have pride.
Big surprise here: I’m in group #1. The discussion I wanted to bring out with this entry was the idea that we have to protect minority groups, but that majority groups don’t deserve the same protections. If majority groups are picked on and teased in a mean-spirited way, that’s fine, but minority groups should be protected and defended from that sort of thing. I think that’s inconsistent. In sexist situations, it’s using a sexist solution to solve a sexist problem. In racist situations, it’s using a racist solution to solve a racist problem. There may be a few rare, anecdotal situations where that kind of thing works. This isn’t one of them. People need to be treated equally and need to be given the same rights no matter if they’re in the majority or the minority. Determining rights based on the social standing of the human isn’t human rights at all. It’s just as prejudiced as the problems that made us need to define the rights in the first place.
Personally, I don’t think this object lesson offers much more than is already available in tired affirmative action debates. I see no response to the argument that the real question is not whether straight people DESERVE a symbol, it is whether they NEED it, and whether such a symbol adds more value than creates harm. You dismissed the arguments that this could become a tool of hateful individuals by saying that they already have outlets for their hatred, but I think that sidesteps the fact that it is possible and problematic for you to create another avenue, without explaining the benefits that outweigh this potential and realistic harm. As far as I can tell, you seem to feel victimized by evidence minority solidarity- because you have presented no evidence that gay pride groups are picking on straight people in a mean-spirited way (certainly, there is no evidence that this is so widespread as to make it on to most people’s radars, much less make them feel actually disadvantaged). I think that you should feel fortunate if this is the most significant threat to your mental well being.
Also, some might perceive your discussion of who deserves equality as condescending. It’s not as if the equal treatment issue is so fresh that none of us have ever considered it before. Maybe we need to be talking about which groups seem most likely to ask for equal treatment, and why the members of those groups bear a striking resemblence to people who tend to benefit from majority privilege historically and on a daily basis.
Anyway, the word is need, not deserve. Let’s see the demonstrated need.
Actually, Meg, the word is “right.” (And whenever you hear the word, scream real loud! Ready? Let’s try it!)
If we’re going to talk about “need” then I would suggest that the gay pride symbol is also not needed. How in the world would you say that someone needs a bumper sticker? What’s it supposed to do? On the contrary, neither group needs such a thing, gay or straight. However, it is their right (Aaaaaaaa!!!) to have one and to fly/stick one where they like on their property. I’m not forcing any gay person (or gay-supporting according to the comments above) to remove their sticker, although I think that might be the right (Aaaaaaaa!!!!) thing to do. Again, I don’t feel “picked on.” And neither should they. Are gays picking on me with their flags/stickers? If not, then I’m not picking on them, because I’m acting in the same way.
I would certainly feel fortunate if this issue was the most significant threat to my mental well-being. It isn’t.
As far as the “freshness” of the equal treatment issue goes, Meg, I’m really glad you’ve already thought this through so thoroughly that you no longer need to discuss it. Please wait patiently while the rest of us catch up.
How is it possible that this discussion is condescending, at its heart, when all I’m saying is that everyone deserves to be equal? Are you telling me that equality isn’t enough? If so, that’s part of the problem. Some people see “disadvantaged” groups or groups that are in the minority and respond by manually “swinging the pendulum” in favor of the disadvantaged group, just to try to even things out. My position: the pendulum stays directly in the middle at all times, and when you are treated differently for any reason, it’s because you earned it by your character and your actions. That’s no different than MLK preached so many years ago, as far as I can tell.
If we were talking about rights (Aaaaaaaa!!!) along, then I am slow, after all. However, that doesn’t change much about my argument or anyone else’s. No one ever asserted that you didn’t have the right (Aaaaaaaa!!!) to make a straight pride sticker; most everybody discussed it as if you had that right. (Aaaaaaaa!!!) The fact that some people condemn it as a bad idea with no apparent justification is at best a social sanction, which has nothing to do with whether you have the right (Aaaaaaaa!!!) to do it. Context makes a big difference as to which group feels picked on when another group asserts pride. It is a lot easier to hijack a majority pride movement to batter already oppressed groups than the other way around, exhibit A: white pride. I don’t blame minority group members or those who feel a sense of kinship with them from feeling suspicious when you assert this right. (Aaaaaaaa!!!)
It is probably clear that I fundamentally disagree with your ‘pendulum’ analogy and the conclusions that you draw. I think there is ample evidence that we are miles away form living in a meritocracy. For example, housing discrimination is common around the country even though it is no longer possible for courts to enforce racial covenants. Check out the Boston Federal Reserve mortgage lending survey and the recent study that showed that landlords were more likely to turn away inquiries from people speaking ‘Black English’ than people who sounded white. In each study, merit based eligibility factors were controlled for, leaving irrational racism as a significant variable. In employment, it’s easier than ever to avoid Title VII requirements, even though that law does the bare minimum in reducing sexism and racism in the workplace. I don’t doubt that someone who appears to be ‘stereotypically gay’ (I’m not endorsing the stereotype, just saying that it exists) faces a similar threat of being judged on the basis of irrational factors as opposed to his or her merits. Until we live in an actual meritocracy, there is no problem jacking the pendulum one way or another to create a real world control for people’s prejudices.
Say a you are driving down a U.S. county road and you look ahead and see a dristracting bumper sticker. You begins to think, “O, I wonder what that means. It’s got a nice design…I like purple.” But look up to find that your car is now headed straight toward outside ditch. That’s not right(Aaaaaaaa!!!), so you crank the steering wheel way to the left and find an oncoming car flashing its brights directly in front of you. But you decide, “This is my lane! And I’m proud of it!” The oncoming car swerves around you and you hear a corresponding “Aaaaaaaa!!!” fly past. You notice it’s the same car that was in front of you moments earlier, the one with the distracting bumper sticker. The driver was coming back to clarify and help out in any way he could, but confronted a driver too proud to balance out, even for a moment. The returning driver, the one with the distracting bumper sticker, had intentions to bring balance through honest action and to drive by example. But because of a fear of the ditch, or conformity, or out of arrogance you decided to keep your path until the U.S. Dept. of Transit changes its rules. What happens when the next car comes and doesn’t swerve? What happens if well-meaning people are hurt or abused because of your overcompensation? I think there is possibly a better solution… and more drivers like Josh are needed.
I have a different idea.
Living in the Bay Area, there is a large population of gay/bi/transgender… What if the sticker is just to identify me as being straight so that people who are straight feel free to “hit on me” and people who are not can choose to ignore me (as a potential mate anyway). I find that a lot of people “mark” their sexuality to some extent so it is clearer to others who they would be interested in as a potential mate. What if that is all the sticker was for? Would it be wrong then?
When I was in the Phillippines I helped some people paint their jeepney. See, there all of the vehicles are painted by the owners with bright colors that basically explain who they are and what they believe. The person I helped had just become a Christian and he wanted help putting Bible verses on his vehicle. Other people have things all over their vehicles explaining their opinions & worldviews as well. I think, to some extent, that’s what bumper stickers and flags have become in this country. They are a mark or a symbol of “who am I?” That, to me, seems very legitimate as people journey through life trying to answer that very question.
>What if the sticker is just to identify me as
>being straight so that people who are straight
>feel free to “hit on me”?
Hey I’m all for that, Steph.
But why not use the symbol for that from the 60′s?
http://www.danreitan.com/graphics/hetero.gif
Drive around with that on your bumper in San Mateo and I’ll definitely hit on you, especially if I think there’s any chance you’ll teach me this whole “lawn surfing” thing…
Dan
HEY!
Dangit…
Josh said, “If majority groups are picked on and teased in a mean-spirited way, that’s fine, but minority groups should be protected and defended from that sort of thing. I think that’s inconsistent. In sexist situations, it’s using a sexist solution to solve a sexist problem. In racist situations, it’s using a racist solution to solve a racist problem. There may be a few rare, anecdotal situations where that kind of thing works. This isn’t one of them. People need to be treated equally and need to be given the same rights no matter if they’re in the majority or the minority. Determining rights based on the social standing of the human isn’t human rights at all. It’s just as prejudiced as the problems that made us need to define the rights in the first place.”
I couldn’t agree more.
I’ve read your blog on and off for a while, but seeing this entry I just couldn’t resist commenting.
I find this to be a fascinating idea, one that is mostly not bad, but has the potential to backfire. Symbols inherently communicate–whether the person interpreting the meaning is seeing what the creator intended or not.
Often I have wondered if inventing a symbolic identity for the hetrosexual community would perhaps serve our purpose best or not.
By the way, I am the former Shawna Toupin from Bethel (married in ’02). Good to find your blog and good to hear how much you love Macs. (I myself have a wonderful powerbook).
Okay, I’ll have to spend some time reading this entire blog to find where you explained the color thing. I’ll do that. But I’d like to defend myself regarding my statement about blue and red being opposites:
If you go to http://webexhibits.org/colorart/bh.html there is some information regarding Newton’s experiments with light. And they’ve included a picture of light being separated through a prism, as well as the color wheel. In the picture of the prism, blue is on one side and red on the other (actually, although it’s ivisible, I believe infrared and ultra violet are at the ends, but the human eye can’t perceive those two). Turquiose is somewhere near the middle.
Hi guys.
Pretty interesting this conversation but Josh, do you know there’s already a straight flag ?? It’s a 9 horizontal stripes, black and white alternated.
But the most important question is “why using a flag”.
A Pride flag is made to recognise minorities in the population and as far as I know, straight are not a minority.
Starights never looked for a representative symbol so why now it should be necessary. I mean, as I told you there’s a flag actually in agrement process by International Standard Flag Association, this flag was draw 12 years ago not, in 1996 and I don;t know any straight who knows that. So a straight flag. For what. Straights are not initerest in that so does it mean you gonna make a symbol to bring people together for something they don’t care about ?
Well, just asking…
I am really sorry to see this.
Straight people don’t NEED pride.
Straight people have everything already.
Gay pride is about gay rights and, let’s face it, there aren’t that many.
I suggest you check this website out before saying anything else about ‘straight pride’.
Straight people have EVERYTHING just handed to them! GLBT people have to fight for what straight people have!
Next time, get your facts before writing blogs like this.
Heterosexual Privilege:
(As directly copied and pasted from: pages.ohio.edu/lgbt/resources/educate_priv.cfm)
Educate Yourself, Educate Others: Heterosexual Privilege
If you are heterosexual (or in some cases, perceived to be), you can live without ever having to think twice, face, confront, engage, or cope with anything printed below. Heterosexuals can address these phenomena but social/political forces do not require them to do so.
* Public recognition and support for an intimate relationship (e.g. receiving cards and phone calls celebrating your commitments to another person).
* Having role models of your “gender” and sexual orientation.
* Living with your partner and doing so openly.
* Joint child custody.
* Learning about romance and relationships from fiction movies and television.
* Talking about your relationship, or what projects, vacations, and family planning you and your lover/partner are creating.
* Expressing pain when a relationship ends from death or separation, and having other people notice and tend to your pain.
* Paid leave from employment when grieving the death of your spouse.
* Sharing health, auto and homeowners’ insurance policies at reduced rates.
* Having positive media images of people with whom you can identify.
* Receiving social acceptance by neighbors, colleagues, and good friends.
* Property laws, filing joint tax returns, inheriting from your spouse automatically under probate laws.
* Not having to hide or lie about women/men only social activities.
* Immediate access to your loved one in case of accident or emergency.
* Going wherever you wish and know that you will not be harassed, beaten, or killed because of your sexuality.
* Not worrying about being mistreated by the police or victimized by the criminal justice system because of your sexuality.
* Expressing affection in most social situations and not expecting hostile or violent reactions from others.
* Legal marriage to the person you love.
* Knowing that your basic civil rights will not be denied or outlawed because some people disapprove of your sexuality.
* Join the military and be open about your sexuality.
* Expect that your children will be given texts in school that support your kind of family unit and they will not be taught that your sexuality is a “perversion.”
* Freedom of sexual expression without fear of being prosecuted for breaking the law.
* Raise, adopt, and teach children without people believing that you will molest them or force them into your sexuality.
* Belonging to the religious denomination of your choice and know that your sexuality will not be denounced by its religious leaders.
* Easily finding a neighborhood in which residents will accept how you have constituted your household.
* Knowing that you will not be fired from a job or denied a promotion based on your sexuality.
* Working in traditionally male or female dominated jobs without it being considered “natural” for someone of your sexuality.
* Expecting to be around others of your sexuality most of the time. Not worrying about being the only one of your sexuality in a class, on a job, or in a social situation.
* Acting, dressing, or talking as you choose without it being a reflection on people of your sexuality.
* The ability to teach about lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals without being seen as having a bias because of your sexuality or forcing a “homosexual agenda” on students.
Think about how hard it is to live in a household where if you were to mention homosexuality your family rejects you and interrupts you saying “I don’t want to hear it. Homosexuality is unnatural.”
It’s happened every time I’ve tried to tell my family I’m lesbian and I’m only 17.
So can you tell me that you’ve ever had something like that said to you? Any reaction at all? Just picture for a minute if you brought home someone of the opposite sex and was told it’s unnatural or got thrown out of your house. How would you feel? You’d feel unloved because they don’t accept you am I right? I know thats how I feel. I feel like killing myself every day because they wont accept me for who I am but I haven’t yet. I’ve been strong to keep myself alive and keep the message going that homosexuality is and never EVER will be a choice, same as heterosexuality.
The way I see it, I shouldn’t have to ‘come out’ to my friends and family and everyone should accept everyone for who they are or will become and the way you all can make that happen is by speaking out and SUPPORTING not doing stuff like this that has ABSOLUTELY NO NEED TO BE HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE!!
Please believe me when I say that we, the LGBT community NEED not want the discrimination and hate to STOP. So be the better woman/man and become a LGBTA.
Joining a LGBTSA group is a good way to start.
Thanks for actually taking the time to read and acknowledge the problems we face on a daily basis.
You can email me at DirengreyKei@yahoo.co.jp if you like because I probably won’t return. Thank you again for hearing me out.
P.S. I’ve applied to at least 20 jobs so far (being serious. I lost count after 12.) and I have a feeling that as they investigated my background they probably stumbled upon the information of me being gay (because I am very open about it) and said “well I don’t think I want someone like that working here. Let’s pretend we lost her application” and then they probably trashed it. See how much it sucks not having rights?!
I forgot to add one thing:
The world is like high school. One big clique.
Everything is stereotyped that no one is individual anymore (even LGBT’s) and everyone belongs to a group and thats why some countries (including america) don’t like inter-racial marriages and relationships because they believe everything should be pure.
GIVE AMERICA THE MELTING POT IT ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT!!
Oh and FYI, people no longer need to have children. They already reproduce like rabbits and are making the orphanages overflow so quit bashing LGBT’s and quit having kids. Adopt please. I seriously don’t think the human race will go extinct in the next year…. >>;
Love the animals. They are not ours to wear, eat, experiment on or use for entertainment.
http://www.goveg.com
http://www.peta.org
Love the environment. The earth is bound to run out of resources well before the human race goes extinct.
http://www.myspace.com/ourplanet
Keiten, as stated much earlier…this flag wasn’t meant to be a need. I don’t think, correct me if I’m wrong, it was stated anywhere that it was a NEED to have a flag like this. Josh simply stated, he wanted it to be a right. Personally I have no problem with with the gay flag. It never offended me in any way. I see it as…I’m gay and I will tell everybody. Why can’t it be the same for straight people? Is it wrong to state you are straight? I’m not saying it is wrong to state you are gay either. If you’re gay and you want people to know…then yeah, go tell people. Same with straights. Say if you are in a community that mainly consists of straight people…wouldn’t you want to stand out and be like “hey, i’m gay.” And if I were in a community that mainly consisted of gays…I would want to point out that I am straight. It is like what was stated before…I think this flag should mainly be seen as a who you are type of flag. Just like the gay flag.
I think the straight pride flag should be a monochromatic rainbow. The exact opposite of what theirs is. But you do got a cool design.
Okay, reading some of the previous comments, I would also say the purple background is a little bit too much. I am going to suggest a cream or beige color. That would go perfectly with all of your other colors. I like the fact of the infinity symbol
I admit that I accidentally stumbled upon this. I started reading simply out of curiosity and now I can’t believe I read the whole thing, or almost the whole thing. Josh, I have to give it to you, you opened one heck of a bucket of worms. I wasn’t reading with the intentions of commenting, I got to this statement
“Straight people don’t NEED pride.”
And decided I would. That has to be one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever read. Everyone needs pride. All people need to be proud and happy about who they are, not just minorities. So what if a straight guy wants a symbol because he’s proud of being straight? Being proud of being straight doesn’t equate to hating gay people. All being proud means is you have a healthy appreciation for your own identity. Being proud to be gay shouldn’t mean you hate straight people, but some of the comments here sure seem to be edging in that direction.
The fact is straight guys do need to be proud and have the right to be proud. Hey,maybe they need a flag. There seems to be a growing attitude that there’s something wrong with being straight, or that a straight guy should at least be apologetic for such an occurrence. It’s frustrating. Why can’t straight guys be happy and proud about being straight? Why is the idea of proud straight guys such a threat to everyone? Maybe I’m too Martin Luther King Jr. but I fail to see how tearing someone down will lift anyone up.
The only way up is to work your way up. Symbols aside the only way to achieve true pride by living life with integrity and dignity. That’s true of every person regardless of orientation, gender or race. It amazes me how little attention this gets. The fact is I can fly all the flags I want, but as a gay man if I want to be accepted then it’s important for me to be a part of the community, and not set myself apart from it. Admittedly, this takes patience, hard work, and a thick skin. Throwing a bumper sticker on a car is much easier, but just because someone is screaming they are proud to be gay, doesn’t mean we should be proud to have them. Symbols can be used and misused and only the testimony of your life will ultimately make any difference. It’s the only thing a worth being proud of.
I enjoyed your blog post, Josh, though I think it ran off on tangents you didn’t intend. I happen to understand what you are saying, and I agree with you. I think it must be very frustrating to be a straight white man in today’s society. You are pigeon holed from the start. If by chance you are conservative as well, there’s simply no doubt about it…you are the devil. People are all so narrow minded, it amazes me. Some of the worst are those who scream the loudest about how liberal they are. I’m interested to see what happens with your pride symbol. Don’t forget though, not everyone that uses it will be someone you’ll be proud to associate with. Believe me, as one living under the stigma of a hijacked rainbow I’m witness to that fact.
sorry, but i invented the straight pride flag in 1997. it is a series of navy blue and various shades of khaki and grey stripes. it is supposed to look like a clever pun on the gay pride flag and is kind of fun and self-deprecating in the whole ‘lol straights get the boring colours’ way.
So, I think it’s a cool idea to have a straight flag. There are two drawbacks, I think.
1st: The having a flag implies that there is a need to have pride about being straight. I say there’s no need to be proud of being straight, or gay, or any other sexual orientation for that matter.
2nd: The flag reminds me of the “bi-pride” flag. While it uses red instead of pink, and there is the infinity symbol, I think it would make much more sense in some other colors. like red, orange, yellow, or something like that.
Part of the problem here may be a misunderstanding of what is meant by “pride” in the expression “GLBT pride”.
I’m bi, and enjoy expressions of GLBT pride such as parades, rainbow stickers/flags, etc. And yet, it’s my belief that in an ideal world, a lot of these things wouldn’t exist. Why? Because there would be no need.
Think of “pride” here not as “proud to be someone who’s attracted to the same gender”, but as short for “strength in the face of adversity”. Cultural majorities _by definition_ do not need the gestures and accoutrements of “pride” for being white, straight, etc–unless they’re groups like the KKK that are going not simply for recognization and respect in a struggle to overcome historical and/or contemporary persecution, but for supremacy.
(Incidentally, I’m reminded here of when other kids in school would sometimes complain about Black History Month–ignorant of the whole reason for it in the first place, they’d ask “when is White History Month?” I’d always laughingly say “what, the other 11 months of the year aren’t good enough for you?”)
It’s unfortunate that another person’s struggle to be seen as a human being is sometimes seen as detrimental to oneself. Look, in some ways I’m part of the majority myself, culturally speaking–I’m white, I’m able-bodied, I’m from a middle-class Christian background. And yet, I don’t view the symbols and organizations representing the triumphs of those who are black, disabled, working-class and/or Muslim as somehow being a threat to me.
If people in these groups are able to rise above unfair treatment, good for them! This does not harm or take anything away from me, except in the sense that I may have to share some of the “white privilege”, “Christian privilege”, etc. But I believe in equality of opportunity, so that’s okay. They truly take nothing away from me.
You might want to ask yourself why it is that you feel the need to “respond” to a symbol of someone else’s support for a given group’s struggle (remember, not everyone who sports a rainbow sticker is gay themselves–they may be simply gay-supportive) by proclaiming your enmity to that struggle. You also might want to ask yourself why others’ progress along their own path of self-determination and autonomy is of such great concern to you.
str8 pride, Josh!
I think this is a good idea. i am a gay individual and i think all groups should have a pride flag. there is a gay pride flag a bi pride flag and a transgender pride flag so, it stands to reason that there should be a straight pride flag.
I am recently agast of what happened over a question to Miss California! I’m also, very angry also! Angry that anone would be prsecuted openly for answering a (loaded)question honestly! I then thought that we should adopt an independece day independence! A sort of Staight pride day! I had no idea that ne was celebrated on June 12th. This shows how bent the meda is! Oh well, I am still going ahead with my idea! I also think the straight pride flag should be
designeda little more……..well straight_______________!
Has anyone noticed that the original colors of this flag – red, purple and blue – are the same colors as the Bi pride flag, only in a different setup, Just do a Google Image search on the Bi pride flag, and you’ll see that. Also, about the point that a person is acting as if they are straight if they have intercourse with a person of the opposite gender, I think that somebody is forgetting that bisexuals have intercourse with a person of the opposite gender, they are still acting on the feelings and desires that they have, which do go along with their sexuality. So a bisexual person is not “acting straight” if they have consensual sex with someone of the opposite gender.
The gay pride symbol is a rainbow. No originality there. On top of that, the word “gay” has been hijacked. At least you have come up with a symbol with some originality and a deeper meaning than the shallow need to wave a flag expressing one’s sexual attraction to a same sex partner. Expect the howling and gnashing of teeth from the gays.
Hey Josh! I (founder of Straight and Proud Foundation) am just congratulating you on standing up for what is right… Keep it up!
Please visit, http://www.straightandproudfoundation.weebly.com, Support the cause.
God made it one man and one woman!
God Bless!