Self Pride

One day last week was apparently straight pride day.  Of course, for a lot of reasons, there was flak on social media over it.  And, while yes, there are problems with putting that on the same level as other pride celebrations, or putting down other orientations in order to celebrate something, I personally, do get to have pride in my heterosexuality.

I have pride because I've had people say to my face that they would never consider dating me not because of who I am, but because I am straight, and they would only date someone bisexual, because they "need threesomes, and would want the other person to enjoy it".  Where he literally didn't know how to have a significant other her couldn't fetishize by their sexuality.

I have pride because for two years, I was told to lie about my heterosexuality.  That being straight was a "construct of society being forced on me" and that I "had to like girls, because they were hot."

That even though I said I was straight, it was being ignored, and I was told that I had to have sex, and have a sexual relationship with a girl I didn't like, in an attempt to get her to start dating him.  That he wanted all my play with girls to be sexual, and not allowing the idea that play could be non-sexual.

I see people asking if they have to worry while holding hands with their partner in public.  And yes, I do.  I worry in public because of my very different appearance.  I worry because I am small, even if I am strong.  I worry because I have an interracial dynamic.  I worry because I have multiple partners.  I worry because one of my partners has dark skin.

There are so many reasons that I might get shit in public, and so many times that I've had to deal with shit because of my sexuality.

So, damnit, I will be proud of my sexuality.  Not because I find it to be better, but because it is a part of me.