Politician wants straight people to have their own Pride

Australian politician Mark Latham has said he wants straight people to have their own Pride, flag, and International Day, stating he wants to “keep our species alive”. 

Latham is leader of the One Nation New South Wales party, which states its policies include “abolishing all forms of political indoctrination… especially transgender ideology and Critical Race Theory”. 

Stating that his party “love the gays”, he added that the “Heteros” should be recognised with Pride as well, a view which was met with searing criticism. 

“We love the gays, but it’s overdue to recognise the Heteros with our own flag, parade, International Day, UN envoys, special footy round and jersey, and Welcome to Bed ceremonies,” he wrote on Twitter.

“Keeping our species alive!”

We love the gays but it’s overdue to recognise the Heteros with our own flag, parade, International Day, UN envoys, special footy round and jersey and Welcome To Bed ceremonies.
Keeping our species alive!! 😃 pic.twitter.com/r3h0bHIJH0

— Real Mark Latham (@RealMarkLatham) January 3, 2023

Twitter users widely rejected the idea of a “Straight Pride”, with one user writing: “Not sure anyone should celebrate you procreating”.

Another said: “Yeah, it’s about time there was a world leader who was openly heterosexual.”

And it’s not the first time someone’s tried to host a Straight Pride event.

Straight Pride has been tried and has resolutely failed several times in the United States, with one event in Dallas, Texas drawing in just two attendees.

Another event in California saw only a few dozen “straight Pride” attendees turn up to its event, with hundreds of LGBTQ+ activists showing up as a counter-protest.

Meanwhile, in August 2022, a “Straight Pride” event in Modesto, California was rocked by violence as fascist group Proud Boys clashed with LGBTQ+ protesters, leading to three people being arrested.

The Modesto Police Department said that about 250 anti-abortion, anti-LGBTQ+ protesters gathered around a Planned Parenthood centre as part of the “Straight Pride” event, which claimed to celebrate “heterosexuality, masculinity, femininity, babies – born and unborn… and Christianity”.

The Central California LGBTQ Coalition denounced the event in a Facebook statement, writing: “This is a flagrant disregard and bastardisation of the LGBTQ+ Pride celebrations everywhere.

“This Straight Pride has been purposefully orchestrated to harm the LGBTQ+ community in Modesto and throughout the broader Central Californian area that we serve.”