Welcome to Gaia! ::

Great! Except my flag clips through my wings, sadly!

If it offends someone, they need to reassess their worldview. Really, truly. Thats all I really have to say about that point.

And theres definitely room if theyve left anyone out, to add more flags!

I do worry though. My preference can be divisive, ironically. We cop it from within the community and outside it similarly, and some will try to suggest we do not exist, or that other preferences apply to us... so Im hoping if I wear my flag, that people wont assume things about me that arent true and attempt to `reeducate` me.

A lot of this really is probably preaching to the converted, so its not directed at you specifically because I dont want you to think Im telling you something you probably already are well aware of! Rather its my commentary on concerns that there is no straight pride flag present.

While I agree that it would be fine with me to have a straight pride flag set on Gaia, straight identified folks dont need to show pride in the same way or for the same reasons people under the LGBTQIA rainbow do, because straight folks are already seen as normal,and are accepted by society at large. <albeit derided by some in the LGBTQIA community, mainly because they have a level of acceptance of their identity that they can freely take as granted without having to work for that acceptance. I can understand the derision comes from a place of recognition that things are inequal and unfair, and dealing with that constant inequality doesnt do wonders for a persons morale.>

pride exists for LGBTQIA identities, because unlike straight identity, LGBTQI folks have been persecuted in very harsh ways historically, and are still today, laws <not just marriage laws> are inequal in many countries and there are still many countries in the world where being anything but straight will have you cast out from your religion, put in jail, or executed. Being straight is not a crime or a religious offense anywhere in the world.

Straight folks can be as proud as they like and that is totally fine! But they dont need to prove that their straight identity is okay and acceptable and that theyre proud of it publicly, because it already is okay and acceptable! It is not dangerous to show how proud they are of being straight, whereas it is still very dangerous for people under the rainbow. Showing public pride in LGBTQIA identity shows other people who are questioning, or are isolated in their identity, that there are other people just like them, that it is okay to be who they are, and that there is a group of people who may understand and support them in what they are experiencing because they have too.

This is why pride exists in the form that it does for glbtqi folks, and not for straight folks. The same goes for black history month etc. Its for people to commune under shared and similar experiences and support around areas and issues in which they are treated unfairly and unjustly, sometimes dangerously and violently!

Im glad as hell that gaia has given us these flags, for many identities under the spectrum! I hope they havent missed any identities, and I hope they listen if those with identities missed speak up and put forward why they would like their flags made!

I have no issue with straight folks, and I have no issue with them being proud of their identity, being happy in ones own identity is fantastic! So Im okay with gaia releasing a straight pride flag set. It doesnt offend me because straight people and straight pride does not offend me, but I do see it as unnecessary for the reasons I have outlined.

NB, the bolding is for emphasis, not yelling. My style of activism is one of quiet education rather than screaming at people to listen <although its a style choice and not a condemnation of the latter... 3nodding >

Aye, and some do span more than one or two identities, so itd be cool to be able to sport a couple for those folks!

I'm really happy about it. I mean, they have a pretty large variety AND are not charging gaia cash for them. When my girlfriend/gaia wife told me about them, I went right to the cash shop because that's where I expected it. I was pleasantly surprised that wasn't the case. ^^

Word to that, from one unicorn Mythological creature to another! <Oh hey, I realised I use the term unicorn very differently... I mean it to be fantastic magical creatures who allegedly do not exist, not the other type that isnt such a nice thing! Obviously, since I wouldnt call myself one either! redface I hope I didnt bother you or anyone else with that mistake! I am not totally up to scratch since I have used this term to refer kindly to others who also suffer with invisibility and `nonexistence`, because unicorns are really amazing and so are those with invisible identities. sweatdrop >

It is good to be able to represent my identity from time to time, because it is one of those ones that is seen as non existent at times, and Im all for inclusiveness!

I absolutely agree on the cultural identity flags too, I suppose within the realms of what is and is not sacred to those cultures! If they had an Australian flag, I would want one... OTL