Maybe this is something we can do here in SF.
https://www.theburningplatform.com/2019/06/05/boston-to-hold-straight-pride-parade/
Michael Denny
Libertarian Party of San Francisco
No On Prop A
sfpropa2018nov.blogspot.com
www.DennyForMayor.com<http://www.DennyForMayor.com>
www.LPSF.org<http://www.lpsf.org/>
(415) 608-0269
mike@…<mailto:mike@…>
It seems something the Libertarians would be uniquely qualified to organize. We are the first political party to make gay marriage a part of its platform. So we already have credibility for "inclusion". Since most people are straight, could be good marketing to the masses and get us some attention.
Just sayin'
Mike
I get the message of it, but this just comes off more as right-wing trolling than a nuanced argument. This would reflect very poorly on the LPSF and would certainly be hijacked by those with non-Libertarian views anyway.
But it will be interesting to see what comes of this in Boston, if anything.
Nick
Maybe…just like the Gay Parade has been hijacked by those with non-Libertarian views. It seems we can get away from that.
Mike
If the Libertarian Party were to ever develop the problem of appealing disproportionately to people on the left, so that there was a need to do more conservative outreach for balance in order to avoid gradually becoming a left-wing party, I could see association with something like this being useful. At present however, I see far more reason for concern over the opposite problem – the perception that the LP is a conservative party, and the danger of us getting dragged to the right by dissatisfied Republicans or alt-right types joining. Organizing something like "Straight Pride" could make that existing problem much worse, and for an issue where there is no clear and compelling problem in need of a libertarian solution. It's not like straight people are being victimized by a bunch of discriminatory laws the ways queers have been until very recently (and still are in many places). We don't need to encourage them to come out of the closet in order to get government off their backs.
As a possible alternative however, we might consider marching on St. Stupid's Day, a lovely San Francisco innovation which happens downtown every April 1. Those unfamiliar can readily do a websearch and read about the details. There are all kinds of possibilities, like dressing as clowns and carrying signs with pro-government slogans, wearing Trump and Clinton masks, writing people citations for ridiculous "crimes" like the ones on the roulette wheel we've been using at Pride, etc. I could see "straight pride" as an amusing satirical concept to promote in that context, kind of like Vermin Supreme's "free ponies" or something.
Love & Liberty,
((( starchild )))
Note from their website that their march application was initially rejected. They had to formally challenge the government to get the same treatment as the Gay Parade. We have a situation today where it seems one has to be an oppressed minority to have equal access to rights. And it is becoming a kind of reverse discrimination and racism.
Mike
Mike,
We libertarians are an oppressed minority, no?
Yes….but unfortunately we aren’t perceived as a protected minority. Or we wouldn’t have to fight so hard for ballot access.
Mike
We still might have to anyway – note the efforts of Republicans to redraw districts to minimize the role of minority voters.
Yet you make a good point Mike about the Straight Pride organizers initially having their march application rejected, which does address my point about discriminatory laws. I would love to see a media investigation into exactly how permits for marches, rallies, etc. in SF, are being handled from one group to another – who gets what how quickly, for what fee, etc.
At the second Sudanese rally I went to and spoke at a couple months ago in UN Plaza, I was outraged to learn that the demonstrators had been charged $2300 for a permit to march and set up a stage. These are largely immigrants who likely don't have a lot of resources for the most part and are trying to support basic freedom and human rights in a poor country. One person I spoke with mentioned raising money to pay for prisoners to be released (the regime apparently often require bribes for this). And yet the wealthy government in a place like SF is charging them thousands of dollars to exercise their free speech rights that shouldn't cost a dime. I encouraged them to petition the authorities to return their $2300, and have been trying to follow up with them about that.
So while I'm not opposed in principle to standing up for the equal rights of Straight Pride organizers (if not necessarily helping them organize), they are far from the only victims of this kind of thing, and we should as always be mindful of our party and movement's need to appeal more to people on the left so that we do not become marginalized as a right-wing party or movement.
Love & Liberty,
((( starchild )))
Agreed as usual.....
Mike