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Name: Estelle
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Re: Why am I shamed for being proud of my "straightness" by the LGBT community? - November 11th 2016, 01:06 AM

It's awesome that you try to be respectful towards LGBT+ people, but keep in mind that the most important thing to do to actually be respectful is to listen to us. When someone tells you that the phrase "straight pride" is offensive, even if they're not being nice about it, the right thing to do is to stop using that phrase. If someone tells you you're sounding homophobic, it's better to ask them what's offensive and why so you can learn and correct it. There's a lot that goes into what people might find offensive that a straight person might not realize.

It sucks that reactions come off as anger at you and the fact that you're straight, but you also need to consider where they're coming from. No matter where you live, no matter how progressive it is, LGBT+ people grow up exposed to hate and ignorance, whether it's from families, peers, the media, or the internet. It's hard to come to terms with yourself when you're LGBT+ in a way that it's really not when you're straight. They have faced, and will probably continue to face, a lot of challenges and prejudice at the hands of straight people. If someone says something like "I hate straight people," that definitely shouldn't be happening, but at the same time, I think that centuries of oppression that continues today is a pretty solid cause for some resentment. Phrases like this also aren't (or shouldn't be) directed at you specifically. People who get upset with you have years of correcting people and ignorance under their belts, no matter what it might look like to you. So while they definitely shouldn't react with anger at these things, I personally think it's understandable if some do.

I hope the responses are helping! It's awesome that you're taking the time to ask questions and learn, that's how you be a good ally



The opposite of war isn't peace - it's creation
~Jonathan Larson

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