We’ve seen a lot of incredible responses to the especially cruel and backwards sort of hate that resulted in 49 people being killed in Orlando earlier this month. We’ve also seen some horrid responses, and somewhere near the very top of that list is #HeterosexualPrideDay: a hashtag being used by straight people who would like a parade and a flag as compensation for facing zero discrimination on 365 days out of the year, thankyouverymuch. What a cool idea! So much for the whole “thoughts and prayers” thing.
Thankfully Heterosexual Pride Day is not an actual, officially recognized thing, just as heterosexual discrimination is not an actual thing, just as reverse racism and reverse sexism are not actual things. And thankfully Twitter has dealt no shortage of scalding burns to those who believe it should be otherwise.
#HeterosexualPrideDay is a reminder–we must keep marriage between one man & a series of progressively younger women pic.twitter.com/CBpLzCU3uq
— Donald J. Drumpf (@RealDonalDrumpf) June 29, 2016
#HeterosexualPrideDay parade pics turned out great! pic.twitter.com/rKMiPinKsQ
— Cameron Esposito (@cameronesposito) June 29, 2016
Happy #HeterosexualPrideDay everyone! pic.twitter.com/d1lHSCSqox
— Godlotus (@TheWeekday1107) June 29, 2016
#HeterosexualPrideDay.. Isn’t 365 days a year enough?
— Bobby Norris (@BobbyCNorris) June 29, 2016
one is underlined because it doesn’t exist #HeterosexualPrideDay pic.twitter.com/6kNYN2IdcA
— shel (@SheldonShearer) June 29, 2016
#heterosexualprideday is straight folks screaming “AND PEGGY!” while we’re tryna take a moment to discuss the issues angelica & eliza face
— Tyler Ford (@tywrent) June 29, 2016
Wasn’t sure they had one, but after some googling, I found the #HeterosexualPrideDay flag. pic.twitter.com/f4dIRNRX95
— Christopher Sebela (@xtop) June 29, 2016
#heterosexualprideday starter pack pic.twitter.com/xn1kkQESfg
— maisy (@seaf0und) June 29, 2016
There is only one #HeterosexualPrideDay and it was 22 years ago pic.twitter.com/iK7ncEXoNf
— Marc Snetiker (@MarcSnetiker) June 29, 2016
#heterosexualprideday? what y’all got to be proud about? dodge caravans? “the notebook?”
— hari nef (@harinef) June 29, 2016
In red, are all the countries where you can get killed for being heterosexual #HeterosexualPrideDay pic.twitter.com/ry1PlmvCnP
— ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ (@thefinaIgoodbye) June 29, 2016
Clearly #HeterosexualPrideDay is a troll tag, but the fact that straight people feel the need to deny the necessity for actual Pride less than three weeks since the Orlando attacks is pretty disturbing — as is the thought of a bunch of straight couples in matching cableknit sweaters creeping down 5th Avenue on a giant float.
Credits
Text Hannah Ongley