Straight flag

Last updated

A straight flag or heterosexual flag is a pride flag intended to represent heterosexuality. Some straight flags represent straight pride, a conservative countermovement to gay pride. There is also the straight ally flag, which is intended to represent allyship by straight people with the LGBT community. Although there are many proposed straight flags, none of them enjoys broad consensus for usage today.

Contents

Straight pride

Straight pride flags
Heterosexual flag (black-white stripes).svg
A straight pride flag [1]
Heterosexual flag (black-grey-white).svg
Black-grey-white variation of the latter flag [1] [2]
Super Straight Flag.svg
Flag used by supporters of the "super straight" trend [3] [4] [5]

A flag composed of alternating black and white strips, with a design similar to the rainbow LGBT pride flag, was created to represent straight pride. [1] Several variations of this flag exist. One uses white, grey and black colors, also mimicking the rainbow flag and originating in the early 2000s. [1] [2] Another variation with the male and female gender symbols imposed over its field also exists. [6]

In 2015, the Russian political party United Russia, of which the then President of Russia Vladimir Putin was then part, introduced a straight pride flag to be displayed on the Peter and Fevronia Day (also known as the Day of Family, Love and Faithfulness). It consists of a woman, a man and their three children with a hashtag saying #НастоящаяCемья ("#RealFamily") below. It was created as a response to the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States earlier on the same year. [7] [8] It has three variants, each representing one of the three colors of the flag of Russia. One portrays the family and text in red in a white background while other two display the symbols in white on a red or blue field. [8] The French organization against same-sex marriage La Manif pour tous accused the party of plagiarism, as the flag it used was highly similar to the one used by United Russia, [9] with the only differences being that the French organization's flag has two children and not three. However, Alexey Lisovenko, the then deputy head of United Russia in Moscow, stated that the design of the flag had been done with the approval of creators of La Manif pour tous' flag. [8]

In 2019, the American organization Super Happy Fun America led a straight pride parade in Boston, in the United States, in August of the same year. [10] Described as "a response to the 'identity politics' of the left", [11] the event attracted several hundred participants and thousands of counter-protesters, who vastly outnumbered participants of the parade. [12] [13] [14] The organization featured a straight pride flag in its official website. [15] This flag was rectangular and divided from its upper hoist to its lower fly, with pink at the fly and blue at the hoist, and superimposed with interlocked male and female gender symbols in yellow bordered with black. [16]

In 2021, a social media trend called "super straight" emerged on TikTok on 21 February and later spread to other websites like 4chan, Reddit and Twitter. Supporters stated that "super straight" was a new sexuality describing heterosexuals who would never have a sexual relationship with transgender people. Its originator said he created the term because he was tired of being called transphobic. [3] The trend was described by Insider and The Daily Dot as a transphobic campaign, and listed by GLAAD as online hate speech. [3] [17] [18] Supporters of the trend created an orange and black flag, which has been said to be meant to imitate PornHub's logo. Variants of the flag included the hashtag "#SuperStraight" or intertwined male and female symbols. [3] [4] [5] [19] Some people on 4chan used the acronym SS for "super straight", which led some people, including some supporters of the trend on the website, to associate it with the logo of Adolf Hitler's Schutzstaffel, which also used SS as its acronym. As a result, some flags with Nazi symbolism were also used by these supporters. [17] [20]

Allyship

Straight ally flag Straight Ally flag.svg
Straight ally flag

A variation of the alternating black-and-white striped flag is known as the straight ally flag, and represents heterosexual people who support the LGBT community. It combines the black and white straight flag with the rainbow LGBT flag. [21] The rainbow portion of the flag sometimes takes the form of an "A", representing the word "allies", or an inverted "V". It originated in the late 2000s, but its exact origin is unknown. [22]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rainbow flag</span> Flag with the colors of the rainbow

A rainbow flag is a multicolored flag consisting of the colors of the rainbow. The designs differ, but many of the colors are based on the seven spectral colors of the visible light spectrum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT community</span> Community and culture of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people

The LGBT community is a loosely defined grouping of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals united by a common culture and social movements. These communities generally celebrate pride, diversity, individuality, and sexuality. LGBT activists and sociologists see LGBT community-building as a counterweight to heterosexism, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, sexualism, and conformist pressures that exist in the larger society. The term pride or sometimes gay pride expresses the LGBT community's identity and collective strength; pride parades provide both a prime example of the use and a demonstration of the general meaning of the term. The LGBT community is diverse in political affiliation. Not all people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender consider themselves part of the LGBT community.

This is a list of notable events in the history of LGBT rights that took place in the year 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bisexual flag</span> Pride flag

The bisexual flag is a pride flag representing bisexuality, bisexual individuals and the bisexual community. The pink stripe represents attraction to the same gender, while the blue stripe represents attraction to the opposite gender. The purple stripe, the resulting "overlap" of the blue and pink stripes, represents attraction to all genders, including non-binary people and those of other gender identities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT culture</span> Common culture shared by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people

LGBT culture is a culture shared by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals. It is sometimes referred to as queer culture, while the term gay culture may be used to mean either "LGBT culture" or homosexual culture specifically.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pride flag</span> Symbol for part or all of the LGBT community

A pride flag is any flag that represents a segment or part of the LGBT community. Pride in this case refers to the notion of LGBT pride. The terms LGBT flag and queer flag are often used interchangeably.

Over the course of its history, the LGBT community has adopted certain symbols for self-identification to demonstrate unity, pride, shared values, and allegiance to one another. These symbols communicate ideas, concepts, and identity both within their communities and to mainstream culture. The two symbols most recognized internationally are the pink triangle and the rainbow flag.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rainbow flag (LGBT)</span> Symbol of the LGBT community

The rainbow flag or pride flag is a symbol of LGBT pride and LGBT social movements. The colors reflect the diversity of the LGBT community and the spectrum of human sexuality and gender. Using a rainbow flag as a symbol of LGBT pride began in San Francisco, California, but eventually became common at LGBT rights events worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT pride</span> Positive stance toward LGBT people

LGBT pride is the promotion of the self-affirmation, dignity, equality, and increased visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people as a social group. Pride, as opposed to shame and social stigma, is the predominant outlook that bolsters most LGBT rights movements. Pride has lent its name to LGBT-themed organizations, institutes, foundations, book titles, periodicals, a cable TV channel, and the Pride Library.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gilbert Baker (artist)</span> American artist and LGBT activist (1951–2017)

Gilbert Baker was an American artist, designer, and activist, best known as the creator of the rainbow flag.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Straight pride</span> Countermovement to LGBTQ+ pride movements and events

Straight pride is a reactionary slogan that arose in the 1980s and early 1990s and has primarily been used by social conservatives as a political stance and strategy. The term is described as a response to "gay pride", a slogan adopted by various groups in the early 1970s, or to the accommodations provided to gay pride initiative.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rainbow crossing</span> LGBT symbol

A rainbow crossing or rainbow crosswalk is a pedestrian crossing that has the art of the rainbow flag installed to celebrate the LGBT community.

/pol/, short for "Politically Incorrect", is an anonymous political discussion imageboard on 4chan. As of 2022, it is the most active board on the site. It has had a substantial impact on Internet culture. It has acted as a platform for far-right extremism; the board is notable for its widespread racist, white supremacist, antisemitic, anti-Muslim, misogynist, and anti-LGBT content. /pol/ has been linked to various acts of real-world extremist violence. It has been described as one of the "[centers] of 4chan mobilization", a title also ascribed to /b/.

<i>Femboy</i> Slang term for an effeminate boy

Femboy ( ), also spelled femboi, is a slang term for a male or non-binary individual who expresses themselves with traditionally feminine behaviours. As an internet aesthetic, this may be through the use of jewellery, wearing feminine clothing and makeup, or expressing feminine behavioural qualities. Femboy can be used as both a sexual and non-sexual term; it does not denote a specific sexual orientation or gender role, but instead marks a form of gender variance.

The Gai Jatra Third Gender March is an LGBT March on the Newar festival Gai Jatra. The Blue Diamond Society organizes the march, which celebrates different forms of Pride. Blue Diamond Society organizes, and brings LGBT people to dance on the streets during this festival. Unlike other Pride marches in Nepal, it isn't seen as a political movement, but a celebration of an existing festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super Happy Fun America</span> Political organization based in Massachusetts

Super Happy Fun America (SHFA) is a Massachusetts-centred right-wing political organization. SHFA and its leaders are known for their ties to white nationalism and the far-right, and the organization has been described by The Daily Beast as a front for the far-right organization Resist Marxism. The group first became known for organizing the 2019 Boston Straight Pride Parade, a parade which attracted several hundred participants and thousands of counterprotesters. In addition to rallying in support of "straight pride", the group has opposed COVID-19 prevention measures, vaccine mandates, and Black Lives Matter.

Rhode Island Pride is an LGBT organization that serves the Rhode Island LGBTQ community, most notably holding its annual PrideFest in June. The organization traces its roots to the 1976 march, in which 75 individuals protested the city's refusal of a permit to host an official march. Today, Rhode Island Pride is one of the largest and most active LGBTQ organizations in Rhode Island, hosting community events and offering resources to Rhode Island's LGBTQ population.

Various lesbian flags have been used to symbolise the lesbian community. Since 1999, many designs have been proposed and used. Although personal preferences exist, as well as various controversies, no design has been widely accepted by the community as the lesbian flag.

There is evidence that TikTok has down-weighted the posts of topics deemed sensitive by the Chinese government and Chinese Communist Party. Topics alleged to have been censored by the platform include the Uyghur genocide, the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests, the Sino-Indian border dispute, foreign political leaders, LGBTQ+ people, disabled people, and Black people. TikTok has also removed or omitted information from its services to comply with company policies, legal demands, and government censorship laws. TikTok's responses to claims of censorship have varied, responding that the platform was attempting to protect users from bullying, arguing that certain instances were the result of human error, and stating that such incidents were the result of algorithmic mistakes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Libs of TikTok</span> Far-right and anti-LGBT Twitter account

Libs of TikTok is a handle for various far-right and anti-LGBT social-media accounts operated by Chaya Raichik, a former real estate agent. Raichik uses the accounts to repost content created by left-wing and LGBT people on TikTok, and on other social-media platforms, often with hostile, mocking, or derogatory commentary. The accounts promote hate speech and transphobia, and spread false claims, especially relating to medical care of transgender children. The Twitter account, also known by the handle @LibsofTikTok, has over 2 million followers as of March 2023 and has become influential among American conservatives and the political right. Libs of TikTok's social-media accounts have received several temporary suspensions and a permanent suspension from TikTok.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Pride flags: The biggest guide to LGBT+ rainbow flags and what they all mean". Gay Star News . 21 January 2020. Archived from the original on 4 February 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Modern American Protest and Message Flags - Part III". Historical Flags of Our Ancestors. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Asarch, Steven (8 March 2021). "A social-media trend has people identifying as 'super straight.' The transphobic campaign was meant to divide LGBTQ people". Insider .
  4. 1 2 Nambiar, Prerna (7 March 2021). "What is super straight movement in TikTok? Super straight flag gets slammed". HITC.
  5. 1 2 Sung, Morgan (14 March 2021). "The 'super straight' campaign taking over TikTok is actually just ugly transphobic trolling". Mashable .
  6. "Man behind straight-pride flag in New Brunswick says removal is discrimination". Toronto Star . 28 October 2018.
  7. "Russia's 'straight pride' campaign for 'traditional values'". BBC News . 9 July 2015.
  8. 1 2 3 Sharkov, Damien (8 July 2015). "Putin's party unveils Russian 'straight pride' flag". Newsweek .
  9. Duffy, Nick (13 July 2015). "French anti-gay group upset that Russia copied their 'straight pride' flag". PinkNews .
  10. Garrison, Joey (31 August 2019). "Boston's Straight Pride Parade draws hundreds of marchers and even more counter protesters". USA Today .
  11. Garrison, Joey (29 August 2019). "Straight Pride Parade a 'perversion': Boston plans draws outrage". USA Today . Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  12. Hilliard, John; Wu, Sarah; MacQuarrie, Brian; Ortiz, Aimee (31 August 2019). "Counterprotesters rally at City Hall as Straight Pride Parade kicks off in Copley". The Boston Globe . Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  13. Grant, Melissa Gira (4 September 2019). "When the State Enforces "Straight Pride"". The New Republic . ISSN   0028-6583 . Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  14. Garrison, Joey (31 August 2019). "Boston's Straight Pride Parade draws hundreds of marchers and even more counter protesters". USA Today . Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  15. Evans, Patrick (5 June 2019). "Calls for a 'Straight Pride Parade' cause stir". BBC News.
  16. Martin, Naomi; Adams, Dan (29 August 2019). "Ignore the Straight Pride Parade or fight it? LGBTQ community divided over how to respond" . The Boston Globe .
  17. 1 2 Ball, Siobhan (9 March 2021). "Transphobic trolls are trying to pass off 'super straight' as a new sexual identity". The Daily Dot . Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  18. "Hate Speech Listing". GLAAD. 7 May 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  19. Friedersdorf, Connor (7 April 2021). "The sexual identity that emerged on TikTok". The Atlantic .
  20. Milton, Josh (8 March 2021). "Super Straight: Transphobic Trend has links to the far-right". PinkNews . Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  21. 1 2 Igoe, Katherine J. (14 April 2021). "30 Different Pride Flags and What Each Represents". Marie Claire .
  22. "The Gender & Sexuality Resource Center – Pride Flags". University of Northern Colorado . Retrieved 29 June 2021.