should we protest straight pride day?

[madamheidi84]

The president of the College Repubs at my university came up to me today, and she told me that their group is organizing a "Straight Pride Day" with activities and such. I'm the president of the University Dems at my university, and I was just wondering if any of you DUers here think that events like this are even worthy of protest. My friend and the treasurer of our organization is also the president of the GLBA group on campus, and he was not all that concerned. He figures as long as they don't do any gay bashing then we should just let them be.

My first reaction was to just let them do their thing and ignore them, but whenever WE do things on campus they are always there, and they always have something to say. I figured we could return the favor, but then another part of me doesn't want to stoop to their level of pettiness.

Anyways...what do you guys think? Should we just let these fools have their straight pride day without our protests, or should we remind them, publicly, that every day is straight pride day?

[sasquatch]

1. Just post a shitload of Jeff Gannon posters around the campus that day

[madamheidi84]

2. great idea...although...

people on my campus, in the heart of Bush Country, are so apathetic and ignorant, they probably haven't even heard of JamesJeff GuckertGannon.

[sasquatch]

5. Where do you go to college?

[readmoreoften]

3. IGNORE THEM

Say nothing and let the other straight people correct them. If you ignore them, many progressive straight people will find their antics so absurd that they will ridicule the haters mercilessly. Let homophobia become an issue of straight integrity and dignity.

Whatever you do, don't get into screaming matches with these people. They want to see you hurt and riled up. If you choose not to ignore them. You may want to purchase their t-shirts and wear them, kiss your GLBT partners, stay positive and show them that you believe that straight people have a right to marry and love their partners too!

[simcha_6]

4. That's so unbelievably lame...

it makes me sick. I say ignore it, or do some sort of passive protest. Posters ahead of time, civil liberties and equal rights reminders, but put them up ahead of time and don't come close to them on their special day.

Maybe have your own "equal rights for all" day the next month. Just make sure there's no gay-bashing.

What campus are you on. I'm at DU (freshman). Let us know what you do and how it goes in case I ever run into this sort of thing. Good luck.

[JAbuchan08]

6. You could do a "pan sexual pride" pride day

and drive home the point that you can be proud of who you are without bashing other people.

[madamheidi84]

7. I go to school in North Texas...the Univ. of Texas @ Arlington

[JAbuchan08]

8. Well maybe "pan sexual" is the wrong wording,

how 'bout "pride in yourself" day. I don't know if you should neccessarily protest, that just plays into their hands.

I HAVE IT! Ask the GLBT community to attend the event! With signs and slogans expressing their support for the straight community's right to be who they are. Kill 'em with tolerance.

[readmoreoften]

9. Well you've got Dallas and Austin gays to fight for you

You're certainly not without allies in the region. The gay population is enormous in the region and I'm certain you'll find many straight allies. Or you could make up supportive t-shirts that say, "I'm Gay and I support Straight Rights!"

[khashka]

10. A Teaching Opportunity

I'd say, yes, protest it. Except I agree with you about not stooping to that level of pettiness.

But you can use it to inform people about gay /lesbian/ transgender issues: that we suffer from unbeliavable violence, that our voices are often stifled, that the day to day living of our lives is often made difficult, that our suicide/drug abuse/alcoholism rates are enormous because we live in a world where we are neither wanted nor needed.

But you can do that without disrupting what they do. Set up tables where people can talk, hand out flyers, have people wander around and just talk to other people. Write letters to the school paper. You don't have to be strident or loud and you don't have to stoop to their level. That's a hell of a lot harder than waving signs and shouting, but it's more likely to change minds and you won't end up regretting your actions.

Let us know how it all works out.

Khash.

[justin899]

11. Yes, you should protest

ignoring problems doesn't make them go away. It just makes them grow stronger.

[mitchtv]

12. no protest but bring a camera

there should be: the common freeper, the redfaced redneck, and the hypocritical christian ,in abundance. and not forget the dumbassed moran. I like the Jeff gannon pics too.Mary Cheney could be used "Free Mary Cheney"

[tjwmason]

13. Join in the parade

Express your solidarity with those who are straight. Carry rainbow banners and posters with messages which are simultaneously pro-gay and pro-straight.

Unlike them, we do not feel threatened by difference; we are perfectly happy to have straight friends and relations.

[Siyahamba]

15. I agree; be straight-positive!

Though "straight pride" is usually not much more than gay-bashing, give them your full-fledged support. Carry signs that say things like "Gay But Not Narrow!" You know that they're doing this to get a rise out of us so they can call us hypocrites; don't give them any ammunition.

[Langley85]

14. Ignore Them

Just let them display their idiocy. Prove that you're the bigger person by not attacking other people for being proud of themselves.

[GodlessBiker]

16. I understand the instinct to give them some of their own medicine, but...

I would either ignore it or join in their celebration. There is nothing wrong with being straight and proud, just like there is nothing wrong with being gay and proud.

Take the high road. Back their efforts to celebrate their diversity. Write an editorial for the campus neswpaper defining their celebration in your terms and join in the spirit of their day the way you define it. Invite them to join in your celebration.

[madamheidi84]

17. thanks for the feedback

I wanted to get other people's opinions before I brought the topic up at our Univ. Dems meeting today. Your posts were helpful. We decided that we will have a booth out by the central library during their straight pride day just to offer info on the issues and to promote pride in being yourself no matter your sexuality. We won't interfere in their pride day activities, but we will be present and offering an alternative to the subtle bigotry being celebrated by the Republicans.

I'll let you guys know how it goes.

[GodlessBiker]

18. I think that is a wise compromise. Good luck!