Every June we see people on social media getting their panties in a twist about Pride Month and this year is no exception. I have no idea why people visit my website when they get easily triggered whenever people in the LGBTQ+ community celebrate their achievements but I’ve given up trying to understand haters.
At any rate, I received this message in response to a post I made about this year’s Pride
can we also have a month for other sectors of our society? Like heterosexual month…?
Pride Month was started by members of the LGBTQ+ community. No one created it for us, we created it ourselves. No one gave it to us.
If straight people want their own month, they need to start it for themselves. Literally no one is stopping them. If straight people want to celebrate themselves, they need to get their shit together.
I found this post on Reddit and I thought it summarized why Pride Month is important:
Every year when Pride Month comes around, I see people ask “Why do LGBTQ+ people need a whole month?” So let me tell you about a person named Alan Turing.
During World War 2 Turing was one of the most important people who helped crack nazi germany’s enigma code. His work is estimated to have saved millions of lives and shortened the war by 2 years. He helped defeat one of the most dangerous regimes in human history.
And what did his country do in return? Award him? Acknowledge his works? NOPE.
They prosecuted him for being gay.
The thing is in 1952 homosexuality was illegal in Britain. Turing was convicted of “gross indecency” simply because he had a relationship with another man. Instead of prison he was given chemical castration. So he was forced hormonal treatment that caused severe physical and psychological effects.
A hero and genius was reduced to a criminal because of who he loved. A couple of years later he passed away at the age of 41.
That’s one reason Pride exists. Not because queer people think they’re special.Nor do they want some special attention. Pride exists because for much of history as LGBTQ+ people were told to hide, feel ashamed, or face punishment. And while things have improved in many places, discrimination hasn’t magically disappeared. People are still bullied, rejected by families, denied opportunities, harassed, assaulted, or treated as less worthy because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Leave social stigma, even today being gay is illegal in many countries. Tell me one country where being straight is illegal. Yep. Zero.
So pride is not a celebration of being “better” than anyone else but it’s a celebration of surviving things that never should have happened in the first place. It’s a reminder that people like Alan Turing existed, contributed to society, and deserved dignity long before society was willing to give it to them.
You don’t have to be queer to understand that. You just gotta believe that nobody should be humiliated or excluded for being who they are. If you got some more questions i would be happy to answer them.
That very much clears why Pride Month exists. 🏳️🌈 Happy pride to all queers and allies
Hope that clears things up.
Love, Hannah
Hannah McKnight 
Very well put. I so agree with you!
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very well said social media has turned into a joke for the most part all you get who people who,don’t understand and don’t want to
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I never myself fully understood pride myself for many years.
Then I accepted myself as trans non binary and began to see all this hate or misinformation toward those in this community
I’ve never been able to attend a pride event. Maybe one day
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Once when I was a little kid I asked my mom why there’s a mother’s day, and a father’s day, but no kid’s day. She laughed and said, “EVERY day is kid’s day.”
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I don’t focus on the LGBT stuff… just like I don’t on sex, race, political stuff… I can’t change the world and I’m not a real people person so I just live as I wish… I have not been hassled and have been enfem. in much of the USA including 10,000’s miles road trips enfem. Anyone else hate soccer more than me speak up…Ugh… Mary Jo
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I don’t agree but you cracked me up and I love you. Lol
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Well the title of the discussion is Unhinged….Mary Jo
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Hannah, I love it that you are out there, telling your story, every day. Okay a few times a week, generally, but still, I look forward to reading every single one of your posts.
I’m no psychologist, but I’m convinced that all those haters are really insecure about their own place in the cosmos. In order for them not to go crazy with existential angst, they need a very simple story about the world, and themselves, in which there are men who love women, and women who love men, and that’s all. And God made it so, so it’s the only proper way to be, everything else is an abomination. [anti-religious rant deleted here as off-topic]
Anyway, you’ve got the right idea: ignore them, and just go on being your own fabulous self. You go, girl!
Love,
Jayne
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Hannah,
As always, thank you for your words! The item from Reddit is fabulous (one could also add in the fact that Turing’s work was fundamental in the creation of the computers that all of us — sadly even the haters — to connect and communicate like this”, and I am very much in agreement with Sophie, there are 12 months a year that are “Heterosexual Month.” As you noted, there is little point in trying to figure out what it is that triggers those who get so upset that others are celebrating their history and joy. I am just grateful that people like you and Alan Turing (and so many others) have made this world a better place for all of us!
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Heidi, Thank you for reminding us about history, and thank you for your blog which I read almost every day. Even today there exist transphobic people, even in my own family. This is why I keep my Kerri alter ego secret. Please keep blogging and I’ll keep reading.
Kerri
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So well said as always!
Where is Alan Turing when we need to defeat another one of the most dangerous regimes in history???
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Yep.
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Very, very, very well said! For as long as there will be those who will demand a “heterosexual/cisgender pride month” [*insert eyeroll here*], there will still be a need for a month that reminds those who aren’t heterosexual and cisgender that they’re valid human beings. Thank you so much, Hannah, for this reminder.
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re Turing after the conviction, he lost his security clearance, which stopped him working on most computer and code cracking work for the government.
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