Questions for you to ponder

An Issue of Pride

Why do some gays insist on shoving their homosexuality out there to the whole world? I understand being comfortable in your own skin, and I have no problem with gay people being gay. It's their right, and none of my business what they do in their bedrooms.

What I don't get is the whole gay pride thing...the rainbows, the pink triangles, the parades, any of it.

I believe that people are born straight or born gay - that there's nothing really you can do about it unless you choose to act otherwise. It's not an accomplishment to be straight or gay. It's nothing you have to struggle to become. It just is. So what is there to be proud of?

I'm a married woman. I love my husband and happily dated other men before I met him. I don't go around with stickers on my car saying "Hetero Pride" or wearing a t-shirt proclaiming "Straight Chicks Rule" or "Happily Banging My Husband On A Regular Basis."

I feel the same way about so-called racial pride. It's not an accomplishment. It just is. Womanhood is another one. I like being a woman; it suits me just fine. I do not, however, feel the need to proclaim my femininity from the rooftops or be a man-hater or femi-Nazi in order to be a real woman.

If you are happy to be what you are- man, woman, gay, straight, black, white, Irish, Latvian, whatever- I'm glad for you, and more power to ya. Why make a big deal out of it?

Real pride, in my opinion, comes from accomplishments and hard work. My license plate cover proclaims me an alumnus of my Alma Mater, because dammit, I worked hard for 6 years to graduate. Too bad the Summa Cum Laude isn't on there as well. I may roll my eyes at all the "My Kid is an Honor Student" bumper stickers, but really, parents, you rock that sticker for all it's worth.