Poll: Being proud of who you are

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Fairly recently, I let it be publicly known at my school that I'm attracted to dudes, and someone asked me yesterday why I don't ever express "Gay Pride" via clothing/rallies/social media/ect. I ended up telling her that while it is sometimes necessary to fight bigotry with self-empowerment, I don't feel "proud" of my sexuality just as I don't feel "proud" of being white or male or born in America. It'd be weird for people to walking around saying "Straight Pride", so I don't feel it's any different just because I'm in the minority.

So this got me thinking: is it logical to be proud of things about yourself even though they were entirely out of your control? (e.g. heritage, genetics, sexuality, nationality)

I don't see why you should feel good about yourself because you happen to be born with certain characteristics, but then again, by that logic you also can't be proud of your natural talents. I'm not proud of being white (nor would I be proud about being born any other race), but can I be proud of being good at math and science? Can we be proud of ourselves for anything without first admitting that we owe a large part of who we are to other people and uncontrollable circumstances?

I don't really have a clear answer for this, but I thought it'd be an interesting thing to discuss. Are you proud/shameful of who you are inherently? Why or why not?

 

[Daystar Clarion]

I think that's a very mature attitude to have, good job

Am I proud of who I am?

I don't think 'proud' would be the word.

I'm happy with who I am.

 

[Flamezdudes]

I feel proud to be half Irish because i've associated myself with the culture and because i've been brought up in a very Irish family and community, even though I live in England.

I appreciate it because I feel very affiliated to Ireland due to my heritage, family and how i've been brought up. It's kinda hard to describe really.

 

[DugMachine]

Genetic wise no, i'm still an ugly sob .

I'm happy with who I am though and how much I've changed over the years. I haven't done anything to be proud of, yet. Figure when major life stuff like career (not crap jobs) and a lifelong relationship happen then I can be proud but until then? I'm just happy with what I have.

 

[Erttheking]

I think the internet has jaded me to the point where I just don't care anymore. My sexual preference? Political views? Nationality? Everyone's rather unpleasant to me in real life and on the internet no matter what I am, so I just don't care anymore.

 

[EeveeElectro]

That's exactly how I feel.

Be proud of what you've achieved, not what you were born with. Being gay or white or having blue eyes isn't something to be proud of (certainly nothing to be ashamed of, I'm not saying that) but you did nothing to achieve that so it's not something people should brag about, like I've seen people do.

I'd only say it in response to someone trying to make me feel ashamed about who I am although nobody can make me feel worse than I already do about myself.

By all means be happy. Be proud if you managed to lose the weight that was making you miserable or if you managed to turn your life around before you went to far.
Being happy with yourself and being proud are different things.

 

[Dags90]

Fairly recently, I let it be publicly known at my school that I'm attracted to dudes, and someone asked me yesterday why I don't ever express "Gay Pride" via clothing/rallies/social media/ect. I ended up telling her that while it is sometimes necessary to fight bigotry with self-empowerment, I don't feel "proud" of my sexuality just as I don't feel "proud" of being white or male or born in America. It'd be weird for people to walking around saying "Straight Pride", so I don't feel it's any different just because I'm in the minority.

Coming out and making it to adulthood without falling victim to suicide, drug use, or homelessness is actually a reasonable accomplishment for LGBT youth in much of the U.S. The numbers about it are fairly sobering. While a fair amount of that is still decided by uncontrolled environmental factors (you can't choose your parents, etc.), I don't think it discredits one's own contributions.

 

[manic_depressive13]

Not at all. However, I was under the impression that things like "gay pride" were more about refusing to be ashamed about it, as some people in society seem to believe they ought to be, rather than the genuine "pride" one might feel in their accomplishments. I just figured "gay and unashamed" didn't have quite the same ring to it.

 

[pppppppppppppppppp]

Fairly recently, I let it be publicly known at my school that I'm attracted to dudes, and someone asked me yesterday why I don't ever express "Gay Pride" via clothing/rallies/social media/ect. I ended up telling her that while it is sometimes necessary to fight bigotry with self-empowerment, I don't feel "proud" of my sexuality just as I don't feel "proud" of being white or male or born in America. It'd be weird for people to walking around saying "Straight Pride", so I don't feel it's any different just because I'm in the minority.

Coming out and making it to adulthood without falling victim to suicide, drug use, or homelessness is actually a reasonable accomplishment for LGBT youth in much of the U.S. The numbers about it are fairly sobering. While a fair amount of that is still decided by uncontrolled environmental factors (you can't choose your parents, etc.), I don't think it discredits one's own contributions.

Don't get me wrong, I totally understand why the LGBT Pride movement exists, and as I said, it can be necessary to fight bigotry with self empowerment. Maybe it's just because I faced comparatively little hardship in coming out to people, but I personally feel like it's more appropriate to just say what I am and move on than express pride specifically about it.

 

[Dags90]

Don't get me wrong, I totally understand why the LGBT Pride movement exists, and as I said, it can be necessary to fight bigotry with self empowerment. Maybe it's just because I faced comparatively little hardship in coming out to people, but I personally feel like it's more appropriate to just say what I am and move on than express pride specifically about it.

It's an ongoing thing. The chances of you going your whole life without facing some serious homophobia are pretty slim. My experience wasn't particularly harrowing, but every now and then something pops up and reminds me that I'm different and there's a nontrivial amount of people out there who would hate me for what I am.

 

[Ljs1121]

I'm a short asthmatic with terrible eyesight. I probably couldn't take pride in any of that.

I still like myself, though.

 

[Phasmal]

I understand being proud of something that people try and make you ashamed of.
It's a feeling of `You know what, I'm not going to let you use [x trait] as a stick to beat me with, I'm not ashamed. I'm proud`.
That, to me, is completely understandable.

So, in that way, there are a few things I'd be proud of, but mostly I'm just happy.

 

[Scarim Coral]

Kind of well I wouldn't say pride but I accept it's a part of me (in that I am anti social and I'm fine with that).

 

[sextus the crazy]

I think that's a very mature attitude to have, good job

Am I proud of who I am?

I don't think 'proud' would be the word.

I'm happy with who I am.

That's pretty much what George Carlin said. and I can't agree more.

 

[Penguinis Weirdus]

Depends on what you mean by proud, as people have already said if you don't let others use it as an insult which I've always associated a different feeling than the feeling of say doing something that I'm proud of.
I'm white, middle-class, not-sure-what-sexuality, young, British male, these are things I cannot control I do not feel proud of them but they are me.

However the fact that because of these traits I have become involved in a variety of groups, and done things that I am proud of. So... I dunno

 

[Lunar Templar]

wouldn't say I'm 'proud' of who i am, just that i don't care if I'm liked/popular/cool

 

[Lord Beautiful]

Pretty much in the George Carlin camp of being happy with what I'm given and being proud of what I've earned. Being proud of happenstance is kind of stupid.

 

[Doclector]

Beneath a surface of self loathing, I guess I am pretty pround. I think somethings, I am J**** Muthafucking ******* n(bleeped for pricacy) and I am a survivor. I'm a ausrivier of one of britain's worst scghoools. My own mind rebelled, and still rebvelled, and I have control. I fought throguh red tape and meree man alike, and I still stand. Everything's I survied ha sserved as proof that I perservere.

 

[Vault101]

Not at all. However, I was under the impression that things like "gay pride" were more about refusing to be ashamed about it, as some people in society seem to believe they ought to be, rather than the genuine "pride" one might feel in their accomplishments. I just figured "gay and unashamed" didn't have quite the same ring to it.

yeah this pretty much

the reason its different to "straight pride" is that they are a minority, and a "shamed" one at that, so its nessicary [i/]especially[/i] for those who are "yet to come out" esentially screaming THIS IS OK at the top of your lungs

they don't have "straight pride" parades because no one gives a shit about hetero's....you could argue it is (or should be) the same for gays but thats not always the case everywhere (like certain parts of america...and other 3rd world countries where they cant even come out)

and besides..people celebrate all sorts of silly things, a gay pride parade is nothing harmful