LOVE & PRIDE. Jenny Dewsnap
Doncaster was a latecomer to the concept of Pride, but has the accolade of hosting the first ever Pride event in South Yorkshire back in 2007. I remember the day well, a small crowd made up of slightly nervous gay people and very curious straight people, not absolutely certain it would work and whether there would be “trouble”. Thinking back to those days it’s easy to see how far we’ve come, both as a Pride but also as a force for diversity in the borough of Doncaster. In 2012 Doncaster Pride became a registered Charity and in 2013 secured funding from The Big Lottery to employ a case worker in recognition of the work that needed to be done to tackle youth homophobia in our town. So, why do we have a Pride and what does it mean? This year marks the 45th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, the famous police raid in 1969 at a gay bar in New York that birthed the modern LGBT movement. In essence the Pride movement and events that have spread across the world are a direct result of this piece of history, but yes - of course in 45 years the world has changed. Here in the UK we’re fortunate to have travelled a long way down the winding road of equality, but Pride events remain just about the only way for the gay community to express their sexuality and celebrate being gay in a largely straight society.
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So why is it important for a gay person to want to celebrate being gay? Well, the bottom line is that Gay Pride is not about sex, as so many people assume. It is about celebrating who we are and the fact we are gay. It’s a celebration of the fact that we are making it okay to be gay and that we recognise the challenges that every single gay person may face, as well as the sacrifices of those before us. Many straight people may never actually express any homophobic tendencies themselves and may abhor in the same way as their gay counterparts any inkling of inequality or discrimination, but it goes much deeper, and this depth explains why Pride still has such an important place in our society. Firstly, being called straight has never been an insult and no straight person was ever asked to think about why they are straight and how they came to be this way. Nor has any straight person been physically attacked, shouted at in the street or sacked from their job for being straight. Straight people don’t have to worry about holding their partner’s hand in public and holiday plans don’t have to be made by taking into account which country not to travel to for fear of being imprisoned because of your sexuality, nor do a straight couple have to explain to an overzealous hotel receptionist that yes, actually we do want a double and not a twin!
Then consider the fact that no straight person ever had the uncomfortable experience of having to come out to their family and friends, nor face the consequences of being disowned by parents or kicked out of their home for being straight. Our schools too are often horrible places for anyone who is not straight. An atmosphere of shame and bullying ends in the leading cause of death among Lesbian and Gay youths - suicide. However, Gay Pride was not merely born out of a need to celebrate not being straight, more our right to exist as individuals who happen to be attracted to someone of the same sex. No amount of gay rights or equality legislation will ever negate the need for Pride and for as long as it’s impossible for any straight person to understand the heterosexual privilege they take for granted and experience what being gay is like, Pride remains not only relevant but vital. Finally, if you’re wondering “How come there’s no Straight Pride?” I say the day being straight becomes a crime, an insult, a reason to bully - then start one.
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