Straight pride

Background

Stonewall riots

LGBTQ history traces back to ancient civilizations, but the term gay pride is associated with the modern LGBTQ rights movement that was sparked by the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City. Newspaper coverage of the events was limited since the Stonewall riots were small in comparison to other 1960s riots. It was a commemorative march one year later that drew 5,000 protesters up New York City's Sixth Avenue, sparked nationwide publicity, and led to modern-day LGBTQ pride marches. The rise of liberalism in the late 1960s kick-started a new era of greater social acceptance of homosexuality, which lasted until the late 1970s. In the 1970s, the popularity of disco culture made certain parts of North American society more accepting of LGBTQ+ individuals.

In 1979, a new religious revival among conservative Catholics and evangelical Protestants ushered in the conservatism politically aligned with the Christian right that would reign in the United States during the 1980s, becoming another obstacle to the progress of the LGBTQ rights movement. During the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the 1980s, LGBTQ communities were further stigmatized as they became the focus of mass hysteria, suffered from isolation and marginalization, and were targets of violence.

Straight pride events

The term “straight pride” has also been used on clothing and stickers, often accompanied by imagery depicting a man and a woman holding hands.

Early controversies and campus events

Controversies involving the concept of "straight pride" date back to the late 1980s. In 1988, Vermont Republican John Burger asked the state governor to establish a "Straight Pride Day”.

In 1990, rallies supporting straight pride were held at the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass) and Mount Holyoke College, organized by the Young Americans for Freedom.

The UMass event was promoted as a "Burn a Fag in Effigy" rally. A similar event was held at UMass the following year, reportedly attended by about fifty people and protested by a crowd estimated to be ten times larger.

Straight pride parades and public events

Events described as "straight pride parades" or "straight pride days" have been organized in response to pride events held by LGBTQ groups. These events have attracted attention primarily due to controversy rather than large-scale participation.

Other events, typically occurring in United States high schools where First Amendment concerns arise, have revolved around people desiring to wear "straight pride" t-shirts.

Political rallies and public reaction

At a 2010 Tea Party Express rally in Lansing, Michigan, a vendor sold t-shirts printed with the slogan "straight pride".

Several state and national gay advocacy organizations criticized the shirts, arguing that the slogan echoed the use of "white pride" by racist groups. Additional criticism arose from reports that the vendor was financially connected to the event, though these reports were disputed.

Ideological motivations and extremist involvement

Support for straight pride events is often linked to religious objections to homosexuality. Some extremist groups, including the White Aryan Resistance and the Ku Klux Klan, have also promoted straight pride rhetoric as part of their opposition to gay pride events.

Individual events

Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada (2005)

In May 2005, the northern Canadian city of Yellowknife announced that it would mark both a gay and straight pride day. After the mayor proclaimed June 10, 2005, as Gay Pride Day, Councillor Alan Woytuik proposed that there be a Heterosexual Day. The mayor agreed and set it for June 9. Woytuik defended the proposal for Heterosexual Day by stating that "recognizing the contributions of heterosexuals is just as legitimate as recognizing the contributions of gay and lesbian communities." The group seeking the Gay Pride Day designation was dismayed, asking if Black History Month would be partnered with White Heritage Month and whether days marking heart disease and strokes should be paired with days celebrating good health. Woytuik's request for Heterosexual Day was widely reported on. Shocked by the attention, he withdrew his request for the proclamation and apologized. He referred to his request as a simple one seeking to treat everyone the same which was blown out of proportion. The city subsequently rescinded its proclamation of Heterosexual Day.

Budapest, Hungary (2010)

In 2010, a heterosexual pride march was held in Budapest. Following the route of an earlier gay pride parade, one hundred people participated, including two members of parliament, Dóra Dúró and Előd Novák. The march's stated goal was to prevent future use of public spaces by homosexuals for gatherings.

São Paulo, Brazil (2011)

In August 2011, the city council of São Paulo, Brazil, designated the third Sunday in December as Heterosexual Pride Day (). Debate in Brazil over this decision was intense. Evangelical supporter Carlos Apolinário, who previously tried to ban São Paulo‘s LGBTQ+ Pride Parade, told reporters that his idea was "not anti-gay, but a protest against the privileges the gay community enjoys". The Brazilian Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Association criticized this claim, arguing "it could provoke homophobic violence."

Chipman, New Brunswick, Canada (2018)

In October 2018, Chipman, New Brunswick resident Glenn Bishop raised a straight pride flag in the centre of the town with approval from the village council, which was taken down after the better part of the day later by LGBTQ+ people. Hoisting the straight flag was likened to "putting up a swastika" by local Margaret Clark. The flag drew further protests, and calls for an apology from the council members who allowed it to be flown.

San Francisco Bay Area, California, United States (2019)

Don Grundmann, a Bay Area chiropractor, founded the National Straight Pride Coalition (NSPC) in Spring of 2019 for "protecting traditional gender roles, Christianity, heterosexuality, Western Civilization, babies, and the contributions of whites to Western Civilization from the malevolence of the homosexual movement". Grundmann had previously founded Citizens Against Perversion and American Warrior Ministry. The NSPC's first event was planned to be at Modesto, California's Mancini Bowl, the Graceada Park amphitheater, but the permit was denied for safety and compatibility issues, and because their insurance was voided. After failing again to get the required insurance for a public venue because of the nature of their event, they moved the rally to a private space but were shut down by the owners when they were alerted that the event was being live streamed and more counter-protesters would likely arrive. The owners were unaware of the nature of the event or group and have disavowed their involvement. After the rally was kicked out of the private venue, they moved to the parking lot of the area's Planned Parenthood, which was closed. Reports claim that around 20 supporters attended, short of the 500 that Grundmann had predicted; counter-protesters outnumbered participants ten-to-one.

Boston, Massachusetts, United States (2019)

The group Super Happy Fun America (SHFA) organized an August 31 "Straight Pride Parade" that attracted several hundred participants and thousands of protesters. Counter-protesters vastly outnumbered attendees of the parade. SHFA called the event "a response to the identity politics of the left" Emerson College's president M. Lee Pelton warned about the event, as the parade route, starting at Copley Square and ending at Boston City Hall, borders the college campus. He said the event represents "fear and ignorance, humanity's most potent cocktail, masquerading as freedom of speech" in response to which SHFA organizer Samson Racioppi asked for a retraction and apology. The SHFA group was created in 2017 by Kyle Chapman, who founded the group Fraternal Order of the Alt-Knights a week after the Charlottesville Unite the Right riot. Staff include president John Hugo, former Republican Congressional candidate; and vice president Mark Sahady, "a member of the right-wing group Resist Marxism, who has organized several right-wing demonstrations in the past" SHFA announced the event in June 2019. Racioppi, Sahady, and Hugo contacted the police in early July 2019 when envelopes filled with glitter were mailed to them. One of the event's attendees, Marky Hutt, previously founded a group for gay Trump supporters; he said the organizers of the Straight Pride event had invited him to attend, and he was present at the event with his fiancé.

Thirty-four counter-protesters were arrested at the event. Boston city Councillor Michelle Wu suggested that police tactics and choice of equipment raised tensions between police and counter-protesters.

Boise, Idaho, United States (2025)

The Heterosexual Awesomeness Festival, or Hetero Awesome Fest, was a two-day straight pride event held in Boise, Idaho, in June 2025. The festival was held at Cecil D. Andrus Park. It had a budget of $85,000. Dozens of people attended the festival.

The festival was organized by Mark Fitzpatrick, who has also organized Heterosexual Awesomeness Month and started the 501(c)(3) organization Heterosexual Awesomeness Inc. According to The Hill, Fitzpatrick was "inspired to create the June events when he and his family were discussing how to spend his daughter's birthday last year. He said they could not go to downtown Boise, where Pride events were held." During the event, singer-songwriter Daniel Hamrick (also known as Archer Flynn) tricked organizers by performing "Boy", which has been described as "a haunting piece about a trans child enduring forced conformity and societal cruelty". He wore a T-shirt with the text "Keep Canyon County Queer" and a jacket with rainbow patches. Fitzpatrick removed the singer from the stage.

Legal issues

In 2001, Woodbury High School in Woodbury, Minnesota, created homophobia-free areas called "safe zones" for gay students advertized by posters marked with an inverted pink triangle. Student Elliot Chambers reacted by wearing a makeshift sweatshirt with the slogan "Straight Pride" and the image of male and female stick figures holding hands. In light of previous anti-gay incidents, the school's principal ordered Chambers to remove the shirt, and a court case ensued. A court upheld Chambers's complaint that his First Amendment rights had been violated, and that the principal's decision was unjustified. Although praising the principal's intentions, the judge explained that views of both sides of the debate should be allowed and that such issues should be resolved within the school's community, not within the court system. Based on the precedent of Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, the court stated that the substantial disruptions claimed by the school must be shown to have some connection to Chambers's sweatshirt message of "Straight Pride".

In 2010, in response to suicides amongst gay adolescents, an Ally Week was held at St. Charles North High School in St. Charles, Illinois. On the first day of this Ally Week, three students arrived wearing "Straight Pride" t-shirts. The back of these t-shirts displayed "Leviticus 20:13", a verse stating that men who perform homosexual acts should be put to death. While the school did not force the students to remove their t-shirts, it did persuade them to remove the Bible quotation. The following day two different students arrived wearing "Straight Pride" t-shirts minus the Bible quotations and were consequently asked to remove their shirts.

Balancing freedom of expression vs. protection of students

In school environments, straight pride expressions and events have been reviewed within a framework of balancing freedom of expression with protection of other students. In some situations, schools take actions against students who are open about or encourage hiding homosexuality or limit clothing that has references to sexual orientation. Such may prompt lawsuits. In the Minnesota Chambers v. Babbitt case, "The court noted that maintaining a school community of tolerance includes tolerance of such viewpoints as expressed by "Straight Pride" as well as tolerance of homosexuality." Students (including openly gay students) who are valued and respected are "more likely to learn and achieve than students who are not".

References

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