‘Straight pride’ shirts at Tea Party rally draw fire-echo slogan used by white supremacists

[kpete]

Source: The Michigan Messenger

‘Straight pride’ shirts at Tea Party rally draw fire
Shirts echo 'white pride' slogan used by white supremacists
By Todd A. Heywood 4/12/10 7:20 AM Digg Tweet

LANSING– State and national organizations who represent the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community are expressing outrage over t-shirts bearing the slogan “Straight Pride” offered for sale at a Saturday rally of the Tea Party Express.

The person selling the t-shirts told the Michigan Messenger that his company — the name of the company could not be made out on the tape due to a loud blast of noise, but it ended in “free media” — was an official sponsor and financial supporter of the Tea Party Express, saying that they typically give 10-15 percent of their sales to the organization. He wore a button saying “official sponsor.”

It was offered for sale at a Capitol rally along with buttons featuring Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin and a host of other conservative causes and ideas. The company also offered other t-shirts carrying slogans like “Fox News Fan,” the Second Amendment written out in the shape of a handgun and a drawing of two stick figures with one holding a gun to the head of the other and labeled “socialism.”

Gay advocacy groups say the shirts are reminiscent of the “white pride” slogan adopted by racist groups who oppose equality.

Read more: http://michiganmessenger.com/36668/straight-pride-shirts-at-tea-party-rally-draw-fire

[John N Morgan]

1. Let these morans rant in private. Leave them alone.

The group is dying away and only kept alive by our resistance to letting them go.

I agree that they are a breeding ground for motivating and grooming our home grown terrorists, but the more bytes we dedicate to them gives them life.

Just say'n.

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. No. Let the light shine upon them.

The asshole in charge of that mine in WV is a tea partier.

The country needs to know what kind of people they are.

[cstanleytech]

11. I'm not sure if shining the light on them will work.......

after all cockroaches are experts at running and hiding in cracks and under cupboards.

[Hestia]

17. I don't know anymore about these 2nd amendmenters - I posted this alternet story last night

http://www.alternet.org/news/146322/guilty_of_sedition_how_the_right_is_undermining_our_government%27s_authority_and_capability_to_run_the_country/

and it really got me thinking that we shouldn't blow these people off. If you get down to actually mapping out the people's homes that you disagree with, we've got some very large problems that may end in bloodshed.

[teknomanzer]

29. If you ignore cancer does it go away?

Just askin'?

[ck4829]

2. Maybe us poor oppressed straight people can organize and take over the White House one day. Maybe.

Right wingers always mock minorities and say they're the ones who are oppressed. It's not new, but it was never a smart or innovative tactic to begin with.

[No Elephants]

3. These T-Shirts are brown, I assume?

[mwb970]

4. Who is so unsure of their sexuality that they have to wear a T-shirt like this?

"Straight pride". Good God. How pathetic. Why not wear one that says "I'm NOT gay, and I HATE anyone who is"?

These are such weak people. Weak in mind, weak in spirit. But they've got their guns.

[rurallib]

14. I can see the likes of Larry Craig buying a shirt like this

[MadMaddie]

43. Weak in mind, weak in spirit sums them up perfectly!

They hide behind their religion to validate their hate for others, they hide behind their guns because they are afraid of life.

Pathetic...

[boobooday]

5. Looks like they are trolling for a hookup in a bathroom

At the airport, maybe?

[msanthrope]

41. It does look like Senator Larry Craig designed it, doesn't it? n/t

[dipsydoodle]

6. Tossers

Mother's pride I might at least have understood.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_TGisiI_dI2E/SpDyG4AqQBI/AAAAAAAABi0/svRD4d-lMws/s400/Mothers+Pride.jpg

[Bosso 63]

7. If one feels it necessary to tell the world that they are "straight"

it would suggest to me that their may be some unresolved issues that need to be addressed.

[Oceansaway]

8. they're bigots too ?...whodathunkit...n/t

[onpatrol98]

10. Dumb Idea For A TShirt

This may not only be reminiscent of the "white pride" slogan, but there have been "gay pride" t shirts as well.

What a dumb idea for a t-shirt? Of course, I guess it really puts your politics on full display for the world to see.

[screwfacecapone]

12. Hmmmm....

Why would anyone feel th eneed to tell anyone they are straight? Unless.......

[soupkitchen]

13. Straight pride sounds like a Viagara Commericial

[lunasun]

15. I have seen plenty of 'gay pride 'T -shirts /stickers etc.

But never see a 'white pride' slogan anything... just sayin...

[Zenlitened]

24. Why do you think that is? Why would people feel the need...

... to create "gay pride" t-shirts in the first place? :shrug:

[muffin1]

36. Are you serious? n/t

[Zenlitened]

38. I'd be very interested to hear the poster's answer, yes. - n/t

[MadMaddie]

44. I will take a shot at an answer

The same reason that Black Power and Black Pride were used. Blacks had their heads bashed and hoses turned on them. To proclaim Blacks in America were not ashamed to be black in America. Blacks were going to stand up for themselves and defend themselves if necessary.

To proclaim Gay Pride is the voice of a minority group who is not afraid to be out in society in stead of the closet, always in the shadows, never validated as a real American.


Gay's experience attacks in bars and on the streets from haters wanting them to go away because the perpetrators of the violence are uncomfortable with themselves. Hate crimes have escalated over the last several years because of the hatred spewed from the rw talking heads.

[Zenlitened]

45. Well, I think your answer is thoughtful and well-considered.

Sure hope lunasun isn't too busy to read (and possibly learn from) it.

:hi:

[MadMaddie]

46. Thanks my friend!

:hi:

[EFerrari]

25. It's too bad that poor oppressed white majority doesn't have its own t shirt!

[Igel]

35. I've seen both.

Oddly, "straight pride" struck me as a take-off on "gay pride."

I wonder. . . By the OP's reasoning, I guess "gay pride" is reminiscent of "white pride" shirts. Who knew?

Then again, "gay pride" just reminds me of "black pride". I think it's likely that "black pride" was the basis for the "white pride" slogan. And the "Italian pride" shirts I saw long ago in a state far away, or the "Redneck pride" shirts I've seen more recently in a state rather less far away.

[Javaman]

16. the rise of the new white wing of the repuke racist party.

it appears as if the racists in the ball licking groups and among repukes in general seem to be coming out of their holes.

[one_voice]

18. Yuck...

These people are diseased in the head. I don't know why people think it's ok to make money from hate/discrimination. Isn't there an island we can send these people to? Then, the rest of us can get on with moving forward and not backward. Giving ALL Americans equal rights.

What I found even more interesting was the poll conducted...with respect to thoughts on race...And yet they say there's not racism among the baggers.


From the article:


The connection comes as a new University of Washington poll found that of those Americans who supported the Tea Party movement, “only 35% believe Blacks to be hardworking, only 45 percent believe Blacks are intelligent, and only 41% think that Blacks are trustworthy. Perceptions of Latinos aren’t much different. While 54 percent of White Tea Party supporters believe Latinos to be hardworking, only 44% think them intelligent, and even fewer, 42 percent of Tea Party supporters believe Latinos to be trustworthy. When it comes to gays and lesbians, White Tea Party supporters also hold negative attitudes. Only 36 percent think gay and lesbian couples should be allowed to adopt children, and just 17 percent are in favor of same-sex marriage.”

[soupkitchen]

19. Proud to be in the Closet

More like it

[stubtoe]

20. These Tea Party rallies sound like a really freaky sort of Star Trek convention.

Nothing against Star Trek! I just mean the freaky convention part.

[KansDem]

21. I must admit I have "straight pride"

If after hoisting a few with friends I can still walk straight, I take great pride in doing so! ;)

[jeremyfive]

22. If Straights Had Any Real Pride, They Would Be Fair

Selfishly claiming all institutional resources like marriage for oneself, along with the accompanying myriad of financial benefits, does not lend itself to feeling proud. Selfish, yes, but not proud.

[defendandprotect]

32. Agree if you are "fair" and secure in your identity, you don't need to attack anyone else's....

[The Straight Story]

23. Proud to be gay, black, straight, white, indian, female, etc..what does it mean anyway?

And when is it not ok to be proud of who you are?

[EFerrari]

26. When your group has been used as a cuss word

the counter measure is to assert the group's dignity and value.

Sounds reasonable to me.

[paulsby]

27. "breeder pride?" nt

[The Straight Story]

28. So you can only assert pride in a group if someone else attacks said group?

Offhand I would think that includes just about every group out there - especially after seeing things from surfing the net for years ;)

[EFerrari]

30. Well, I didn't say that. But, no, it's not all the same for all groups.

Yes, all groups take heat from some random idiots on the internets but all groups haven't been targeted by genocide in this country, or slavery, or systematically denied their civil rights because they have wombs or because they are not heterosexual.

When was the last time a kid was driven to suicide because he was straight?

To try to make that argument is basically to minimize not only bigotry but in some cases, crimes against humanity, and I know that's not something you want to do, but that's what that argument does.

[The Straight Story]

33. I do understand that, but

when you start to look at a smaller section of groups one can issues cropping up - example, when my daughter went to a mostly hispanic school she was picked on for being white to the point she would cry and not want to go. In her grade there were maybe 10 white students who got a lot of crap from other kids.

When we moved back to Ohio she started going to an academy on the north side and was the only white student in her class at all. Same thing started to happen to the point she would be sick and throwing up daily, so we took her out and put her back into homeschooling (K was home school, 1st grade in public in CA, 2nd started at an academy here in Ohio).

Folks in the majority can be in the minority - and what wold there be accomplished if they, in such cases, wore shirts with 'white pride' (in this case) to school?

Can a person be proud of their heritage even if they are in the majority, or is it wrong to have pride in where you come from?

[EFerrari]

34. It's probably a bad idea to have your daughter wear a shirt

that is normally only worn by hate groups. I know I'd want to spare my kid that.

What I don't understand is why you are so concerned about having your own t-shirt when every day is white pride day in this country. It's not like there's some shortage of respect or appreciation of white society. It's writ large in every aspect of this culture.

[MellowDem]

39. Every day isn't white pride day...

and there isn't such a thing as "white society". Whites would have to primarily identify as such first for that to be the case. But it's kind of hard to have pride or celebrate a society or culture that for all intents and purposes doesn't really exist for most whites and of which there is no definition.

The reason in this specific case that his daughter would want a t-shirt like that is the same reason persecuted minority groups everywhere want t-shirts like that. People live in their localities, not the country at large. And whites are going to be a minority in many parts of a country that is 1/3 nonwhite, so it's not that big of a stretch really.

[onpatrol98]

40. Insecurity

Perhaps not every group or even every one in every group. But, I think some who plaster the words pride attached to something across their chests are feeling a bit insecure, ignored, or stepped on.

[defendandprotect]

31. Scratch the right wing and behind it you will find violent groups ....

The white supremacist militias and the KKK --

Was reading fairly recently that the CIA has taken right wing money from any

source -- and used it to keep right wing candidates/officials in Congress.

Two of them were Sen. Strom Thurmond and Rep. Gerald Ford!

Some of this info came floating out when Bill Buckley died --

And, evidently, the CIA took money even from the KKK.

Some of this money was given to Pat Buchanan --

There are other names, but I'm not familiar with them right now.

These are all people who use violence to create problems, or who believe that

violence will solve society's problems!



PS: PLUS women's groups have long connected these militia groups to attacks

on women's clinics. Evidently, they pull robberies in order to finance expenses of their

crusades.

[IndianaGreen]

37. Dalek Pride!

Exterminate! Exterminate!

[Synicus Maximus]

42. Sorry but I have seen "Gay Pride". "Black Pride", White Pride' and

"xxx Pride" for 40 years. What is the big deal?