Straight pride? Oy vey....
Jan. 29th, 2005 01:42 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
conuly
I think this is all a result of confusing and conflating two different definitions of the word "pride".
The first has to do with a sense of accomplishment. I am proud to have gotten 3 As and an A- last summer. I am proud to have gone to Stuy (even though I didn't stay there).
The second has to do with simply not being ashamed. That's what people mean they have gay pride, or black pride, or autistic pride. They haven't accomplished any of these things, they simply mean that they aren't ashamed of them and don't wish to change them. They have to say that they're proud because they're all minorities. Mainstream culture would generally prefer that these people change, or pretend to change, or act as though they've changed. Mainstream culture encourages people to be ashamed of things they cannot help, if those things make them different. Mainstream culture kinda sucks, doesn't it?
Anyway, as I was saying, you can't really use "pride" in a sense of "not being ashamed" unless you're a minority. People who identify as straight really aren't a minority, and make all the laws, and therefore don't get a parade. Sorry, duckies.
The first has to do with a sense of accomplishment. I am proud to have gotten 3 As and an A- last summer. I am proud to have gone to Stuy (even though I didn't stay there).
The second has to do with simply not being ashamed. That's what people mean they have gay pride, or black pride, or autistic pride. They haven't accomplished any of these things, they simply mean that they aren't ashamed of them and don't wish to change them. They have to say that they're proud because they're all minorities. Mainstream culture would generally prefer that these people change, or pretend to change, or act as though they've changed. Mainstream culture encourages people to be ashamed of things they cannot help, if those things make them different. Mainstream culture kinda sucks, doesn't it?
Anyway, as I was saying, you can't really use "pride" in a sense of "not being ashamed" unless you're a minority. People who identify as straight really aren't a minority, and make all the laws, and therefore don't get a parade. Sorry, duckies.
no subject
Date: 2005-01-29 01:31 pm (UTC)We don't have to accept their definitions if we don't want to.
The thing is, that is not how certain feminists view feminism.
Then they're not feminists. We can't have a humpty dumpty view of the world. Language changes, but words rarely mean two contradictory things at any one time (cleave is the exception here).
no subject
Date: 2005-01-29 01:37 pm (UTC)No, we don't... but that won't stop them from calling themselves feminists, anymore than the JWs will stop calling themselves Xians because Catholics and Baptists say that they're not. You can say all you want that they're not feminists, but they'll keep saying that they are, and if you try to tell them that they're not, well... I hope you have an asbestos jumpsuit, because they're going to flame the hell out of you. :-)
no subject
Date: 2005-01-29 01:39 pm (UTC)