to ask if all LGBTs approve of Pride festivals?

[MrsMuddlePluck]

Just to be clear - I will defend any LGBT to protect and preserve their rights. In the past I have stepped in to stop a customer patting my employee's cheek when he was intimidating him for no other reason than his being gay.

Now that we have equal rights and as a society we are more accepting of people whose lifestyle differs from ours, can we stop with the 'pride' marches and the flying of rainbow flags to show our solidarity? I know we still have some way to go but photos from Pride festivals 'celebrating' alternative lifestyles make me feel uncomfortable. Surely you don't need to dress up in sequins or bondage gear and flaunt it in the street, to make you a better LGBT? How do LGBTs really feel about this?

Our Council has just agreed to fund a pride festival, having withdrawn funding for our annual community festival. Can't we celebrate together instead of excluding straights from one, or LGBTs from the other?

Unless anyone has asked every LGBT person then how would they know if thy all agree with it?
it's certainly naive to think that it's all rosy for LGBT people now and that events like this are unnecessary.

Empress - I think the more lesbians that turn up, the the better. We're already experiencing too much erasure in the community!

Lozza, you have a point! I'd have to get all my friends together in pussy hats though.

Muddle, I hope you and your DD have a good time.

It's a parade they are throwing. Not a bomb. I think it is up to them if that community or parts of that community wish to celebrate. Rather mean spirited to think of it as some kind of attention seeking. I have taken our kids to pride before. Lots of different ways to be. That is a healthy message.

I knew I was a lesbian at about 12-13 years old.

My school was ferociously homophobic, my family was casually and thoughtless homophobic, my community provided no way or place for me to be out and safe anywhere. I had to hide it, because I was scared of what would happen if I didn't. It was miserable.

I'm out now, and hell yes I go to pride. I go because there are plenty of people who can't and have to hide their sexuality still, just like I did. And in many cases, I don't blame them - I'm still dealing with the fallout from coming out to my parents a few years ago.

I agree that homophobia is still out there. I did say "I know we still have some way to go".

The mere fact that some responses are irritated [if not downright angry] indicates that there are still a lot of us [myself included] who simply don't know how to address someone who is L or B or G or T without offending one or the other [I use that acronym because I see it all the time in the media - it's not intended as a 'lump them all together' term] and are scared to say anything for fear of upset. I didn't intend my post that way at all - I apologise if you were offended. Just my ignorance.

I was polling for LGBT opinions of Pride events. Is it really true that the media only use the flamboyant photos [come to think of it, probably yes]. I saw a photo promoting our local pride event of a person in bondage wearing a collar and lead & cocking his leg on a Pride notice!

If it was promoted without the need to promote all forms of sexual activities, it wouldn't be offensive. That's my point. How does publicly flaunting your sexual preferences promote committed, loving gay relationships anyway?

publically flaunting your sexual preferences

Personally, pride has always seemed a bit too try hard for me. A bit too gay male focussed and very extrovert-oriented. And I am neither of those things, so...

You're deluded if you think LGBT people have equal rights.

I rarely hold hands with my GF in the street anymore. Why? Because in my conservative Midlands town, doing so has led to idiots shouting 'dykes' and us, and on one ocassion being spat at.

So yeah, I'm up for any opportunity to 'publically flaunt my sexual preference' in a safe space.

Shouldn't need prides. Being LGBT should be as ordinary as liking broccoli - Not special, just a thing. But...

...92 football teams in the top leagues, 25 men per team, a total of 2300, no gay ones. Hmmm.

How does publicly flaunting your sexual preferences promote committed, loving gay relationships anyway?

How does one 'flaunt' one's sexual preferences?

Is it like those disgusting couples I saw the other day, blatantly wearing their wedding rings? Or, just today, I saw a man and a woman flaunting their overt sexual activity by referring to 'their' child! Imagine! Practically inviting the rest of us to recognise that they'd been having the sex.

Thank goodness my partner was impregnated by a nice Italian lady in a discreet clinic, I thought.

And don't get me started on all that 'flaunting' that goes one when straight history is pushed into our children's faces at school, and they're forced to learn the revolting details of Henry VIII's wives.

I ask you. How is that going to promote stable, loving relationships?

How does publicly flaunting your sexual preferences promote committed, loving gay relationships anyway

What does that mean to you? How do gay people 'publicly flaunt' their sexual preferences?

Given all the crap in the world at the moment, it's great we live in a country that seems to 'on the surface' at least support people who are different.

How does publicly flaunting your sexual preferences promote committed, loving gay relationships anyway?

The same way that hiding them and being ashamed of them doesn't.

Obviously.

Pride marches were, historically, so important in the fight for gay rights. It's difficult to appreciate how different things were 40-50 years ago, especially if you're not gay.

Pride marches still need to happen. Gay people need their spaces. Young gay people still need to be shown that it's OK to be gay.

It's not about "flaunting your sexual preferences". It's about so much more than that.

Odd, do take your DD, and make sure she knows it's just fine to be a lesbian. You sound like a lovely mum.

There is still plenty of homophobia around isn't there? Isn't that a bit like suggesting we no longer need feminist activism? And frankly, a party is not to be sniffed at.
The thing that surprises me (although as someone who is not gay I suppose one might say it's none of my business) is the "T" in LGBT. LGB seems to refer to sexual orientation whereas T is, imo, an entirely different category.

Btw, quite like the idea of asking "all LGBTs" about this.
Is there a databse?

I think some people really are missing the point?

I don't consider dressing up in bondage gear in a public place for a festival counts as normal behaviour for anyone - gay, straight or whatever? If being gay is normal, is a festival promoting bondage normal too? As a straight, I don't show off my straight-ness, so why is it ok for some gays to show off their gay-ness [most gays don't, so should they be made to feel less gay?]? Same as if I choose to do bondage, that's OK in my bedroom, but not in a public park, where I'd be arrested every other day of the week.

I didn't know what to expect from attending my first Pride parade.

Actually I didn't expect to be as moved as I was, I think I had a Carnival type of expectation. (Although that came later )

The march really made me stop and think about how different life was for older generations, how much they fought for the right to just be themselves and how great it is to see support for gay colleagues in a variety of processions.

Strongerandleaner: I don't think I said I was asking 'all LGBTs' anywhere?

Where do you stand on Morris Dancing, OP?

It's your thread title OP?

Sorry that should've been professions.

But professions in processions I guess! 🏳️‍🌈

I'm bi. I can't wait for Pride this year :) will be going with DH and DD.

Surely it's better to have a positive gay pride parade that brings people together than all the other shit that's going on in the world at the moment

Very sad to hear about the ongoing bullying

But 'straightness' IS flaunted - it's everywhere. It's assumed -that's why I have to come out all the bloody time. We need prides now more than ever.