Brazil city may get ‘straight pride’ celebration

[William769]

An annual straight pride celebration may be a reality in Sao Paulo, Brazil after the city council approved the proposal August 2.
Evangelical leaders in the area suggested “Heterosexual Pride,” or “Orgulho Hetero” in Portuguese, to counter the world’s biggest gay pride celebration in Sao Paulo. The idea first got attention during gay pride month in June.

Carlos Apolinario, the city council representative who backed the idea, has previously tried to move the gay parade off of the well-known Paulista Ave.

Straight pride backers moved forward with the city clerk passing the idea, but they must get the signature of the city mayor, Gilberto Kassab, before it would go into effect.

http://www.365gay.com/news/brazil-city-may-get-straight-pride-celebration/

Have thing gotten so bad in the straight society, that they need a PRIDE day?

[brooklynite]

1. Well, they ARE an oppressed minority...

(bigoted Christians, I mean)

I guess giving them a parade is the least we can do.

[readmoreoften]

2. Otherwise known as everyday in Brazil. Ugh.

:eyes:

[xchrom]

3. well that will be dull. nt

[Zorra]

13. LOL!

Yeh, and what's the point?

Is there a word for gay envy yet?

[ProgressiveProfessor]

4. Not such a bad thing IMO. It gives the bigots one less thing to whine about...

[uppityperson]

5. "I have no trouble coexisting with gays as long as their behavior is normal."

I read about this on facebook, had a good reply:
Privileges the gay community enjoys like
Not being able to legally marry
Not being able to receive benefits through partner
Not being able to adopt as a couple
Not being able to express their love without risk of persecution/ violence

[Amimnoch]

6. a little bit of insider insight into Brazil before rushing to judge.

I live in Brazil, in Macae-Rio De Janeiro-Brasil. As I'm typing this I'm in room 701 of the Hotel Winsor Florida in the Flamingo district of Rio (returning home in Macae on Tuesday).

Over here, pretty much anything that any group wants to do is fine, as long as it isn't active aimed at hurting others. They want to have a straight day.. fine, we want to have gay pride..fine, you want to have a dancing with the chikens day.. A.O.K. The general attitude here is very much live and let live. With regards to work.. here they work to live, not live to work. Back in the US, my partner and I have tons of legal document to protect our rights from our own government who will not even recognize us as a couple. Here, we registered, and we have EVERY right that a married couple has!

For a large country that has VERY heavy Christian roots, they have an amazingly open-minded culture as a whole. Here, it isn't just in the big cities in the "gay districts" that my partner and I can walk down the street and hold hands, here we can, and do walk hand in hand everywhere we go, and it doesn't solicit any anger. It brings smiles, and the usual greetings of "bem Dia, Bem Tarde".

As another comparison, Brazil has a very strong non-involvement-in foreign-countries affairs policy.

I, for one, love this country.. If they want to allow a group to have a straight pride day.. since they do it in the same open minded spirit that they allow everything else that every other kind of group wants.. THAT seems like true acceptance to me.

[Meeker Morgan]

7. Exactly.

The straights saw the gays having a fun party and decided to imitate it.

Brazil ain't the USA.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

9. No. This was the brainchild of homophobic, fundamentalist, right-wing politicians of the worst kind.

NOT harmless. Not by a long shot.

[Amimnoch]

11. Anything to back up that claim?

I'll grant, I don't know anything about the background of the group that is proposing this day (Sao Paulo is almost 6 hours away from where I live, and I've only been there 2x in the year I've lived here), and you may even be correct. But, from what I'd read in your other article, the proposed day specifically mentioned including GLBT, and had language specifically prohibiting the use of this day to promote homophobic agenda.

Also, the reasoning given for the veto had nothing to do with homophobic related issues with the bill, but was simply deemed "unnecessary".

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

14. I invite people lurking on this thread to look up Carlos Apolinario.

This man is so right-wing it isn't even funny. But don't trust me, look around and form your own opinion.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

8. Aaaaand the Mayor of São Paulo VETOED the nonsense!

:thumbsup:

I only have a link in Portuguese: http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/cotidiano/959503-kassab-confirma-veto-a-projeto-do-dia-do-orgulho-hetero.shtml

[Amimnoch]

10. It was vetoed, but that isn't all that the article say.

It was vetoed because it was deemed unnecessary, not because it was deemed hateful.

In fact, the article confirms what I suspected, and that the bill for the day specifically had language to include all sexual orientations, and not excluding them.

It also specifically stated that using the day to promote homophobia would not be tolerated. (something that isn't even CONSIDERED in any US legislation.)

I'm still working on my Portuguese here, and while I'm fairly conversational now.. reading it is much more difficult. But the 75 comments to the article are also quite telling. Any AP article that has topic content about us, and the comments are FULL of anti GLBT rhetoric. The posts on this topic range from comments about this bill and the politicians wasting time on this stupid bill, to outright support for us. Of the 75 user comments I didn't read a single one that criticized us, or actually supported this day.

Like I'd said above, Brazil is definitely NOT the US. Brazilian GLBT couples go to the US, and they suddenly loose many rights. They had better be careful where they hold hands or kiss in public if it is anywhere besides the few places we have "safe havens" in. They may be denied access to their loved ones in US hospitals, and heaven help them if one of them passes away while in the US. Brazilian gay couple goes to the US to work? They can expect to NOT have their partners visa accepted.

Here, even in the smallest towns, Rudy and I can hold hands without hateful looks, without fear of being beat up, or killed. If either of us gets sick, the other is entitled to have access, and make decisions (as long as we are registered), Brazil law WILL protect and recognize him should anything happen to me. The government IS granting his visa as my same sex union partner, and even recognizing our canadian marriage documentation (I should note, this is a special right they give to same sex partners who are immigrating from a country that doesn't recognize same sex partnership like the US!) If Rudy and I were a straight couple, they would require a US marriage certificate, and wouldn't recognize a Canadian one!

This is how far Brazil has come in extending glbt rights to us!

Gender identity? You can claim whatever gender you wish to identify as here! If you wish to change your official gender, all you have to do is declare it and have your new gender officially registered... actual sex change isn't required! when you change your sex, you can also adjust your registered name to one that better fits your new sex!

Not to say that Brazil is perfect, or that there is no homophobia at all, or that Brazil doesn't have other areas that is needs work in, but overall the social progressivism of Brazil is centuries ahead of the US.

[closeupready]

12. Should be "straight arrogance".

nt

[Starboard Tack]

15. I think "pride" is a poor word choice for any group that wants to be taken seriously

It has too many interpretations, many of them extremely negative.