"Proud"?

[faint old rhyme]

I find it weird when people say they're "proud" of their sexual orientation. What is there to be proud about? It's something you're born with, something you can't change. You can be proud about some sort of achievement, award, accomplishment, etc...but not something inevitable that you can't do anything about. That's like saying that I'm proud of having green eyes or something like that.

So naturally, it's annoying when people go on and on about how they're gay "AND PROUD!", bisexual "AND PROUD!", lesbian "AND PROUD!", transwhatever "AND PROUD!" et cetera et cetera. Pride parades are even worse.

What are your opinions on this?  

[Poppycawk]

People have pride in their nation, their religion, their race, why not their sexuality as well? Besides, I think the overwhelming amount of the word "pride" comes from that for a long time we were made to feel ashamed, like we were broken or whatever.

The part of pride that I dislike is when people use gay pride as an excuse to be stupid slutty.  

[faint old rhyme]

You can choose where you live, and be proud of your nation because of what it's doing/its current state/etc. Religion is something else you can choose. So, they're both legitimate things to be proud of.

I don't think you can be proud of race, either. Whoever says, "I'm proud to be white/black/tan/gray/purple/etc" is basically saying, "I'm proud of the fact that I have excessive amounts of/a lack of melanin in my skin!" I mean, really, it's nothing to be proud of (or, on the opposite end, ashamed of).

Yea, I get that that's where the word 'pride' comes from in terms of being in the LGBT community, but...the definition just doesn't really fit. We should be proud that we're overcoming those hardships and gaining equal rights instead of proud of who we are attracted to (or, in trans cases, what their identity is).

I agree D: It just gives us a bad rep.

p.s. i like your sig pic~  

[Sunshine Symphony]

Well what comes to mind for me is when a woman says "I'm proud to be a woman." And you cant really choose to be a woman, mentally or physically, you just are one. So I think it makes sense to be proud of your sexuality. Plus if we didn't have pride what would be call the gay pride events?  

[faint old rhyme]

Well I think the gay pride parade things are a total joke, so. sweatdrop

same goes for gender, sunshine. idk. I just think you can only be proud of something that was actually your choice; e.g. something you accomplished or gained etc.

Is it just me? Or does anyone else think this way?

 

[Sunshine Symphony]

I get what you're saying and you have a valid point. Since people are born with a sexuality it does make sense that its not a choice.

Personally I feel 'Pride' for being gay because I took the steps to come out of the closet.  

[Ninja Goth Queen]

Its not about being proud its about being proud to exprise it to show that no matter wat nothings going to change yeah your born with it. But wat there saying is there proud to say it. But thats just wat I think and when I say that I mean it like that.  

[Solange-Perfection]

Actually, I consider it a positive ideal when society is "proud" of their sexual orientation. I also am glad to see that more people nowadays are accepting gays/bi/tg/etc. It's about time that people realize we are equal and deserve to be treating like it.  

[xLoveLovex]

I think its a good thing to be proud of who you are in general. I completely understand what you are saying though. I still think its good to be proud of your sexual orientation/identity because we have slightly more things to deal with and overcome. You're right about the definition not quite fitting but nowadays when we say we are proud to be gay/lesbian/bi/trans its more just to say the opposite of being ashamed because there are so many people ashamed of who they are as far as sexual identities go and it is a very sad thing to see. To be proud of that is a good thing because it means we are proud that we have been able to come out and be OPENLY gay. That is what we are essentially proud of.  

[NegaScott_7x7]

Well as homosexual people we have been through alot of torment. People always trying to "cure" us and so I think maybe it isn't so much that we're proud of our orientation but more proud that we have triumphed over so much crap. Straight people don't have to be proud, they are whats considered "normal" they don't need parades and campaigns to make themselves feel loved and not alone, whereas we do because we are not "normal". We have to fight for our rights, whereas heterosexual people already have theirs. As gay people it is pretty much an accomplishment to be gay because we go through so much crap most of the time. Its an accomplishment in living.
I don't get why its so bad to be proud of who you are. Wether you choose these things or not, its who you are and you should be proud.

And pride parades are pretty much a joke. They used to be political and used to help our rights and such but now its basically turned into one of the reasons people don't take the community seriously and a way for big companies to make money off of the community. (But I still go to them because they're fun, don't care how much of a joke they are. I love to see that many gay people altogether!)  

[cvbkfgbkjmgbcj]

i think when we say "gay pride," lesbian pride," etc, we mean a different kind of pride that we don't quite have a word for in english. it's more like obtsinacy than pride, or maybe self recognition/acceptance. maybe in another language (like an african dialect), there is a word. sort of like how in one african dialect (idk which--bad memory), there's a word that means both wonderful and terrible at the same time. maybe the word would mean, like, "pride in existence," or something.
did anything in this post make sense?