A straight flag indeed!
I urge Glenn Bishop and his supporters to study the history of the Pride flag.
They will discover the reason for its design was, and remains to this day, to be the emblem of solidarity for LGBTQ+ citizens who were, and remain, a section of society who endure bullying, beatings, killings and all sorts of punishments because of sexual orientation, and true gender identity and expression.
Chipman, N.B., was the scene of the raising of the so-called “straight flag” designed by Mr. Bishop. It was raised in the village to celebrate our straight population.
The flag shows the symbol of a female and a male on a field of black and white stripes. The event was staged in the village and was attended by the mayor and other citizens. Outcries from many who view this as a discriminatory act towards the LGBTQ+ population ended in the flag being removed. Of course, Bishop immediately replied that the straight population is now being the target of discrimination.
Mayor Carson Atkinson was quoted in the Chronicle Herald as saying, “This flag distraction is a lesson for us and other rural communities such as our own. No harm or hate was intended and the village of 1,200 remains an open, welcoming community.”
Meanwhile, Bishop said he and his supporters will be meeting and may even plan court action. We have heard, and read, of incidents that reflect the strong feelings against the LGBTQ+ community.
Bishop is taking this to new heights. He told the Chronicle Herald he has no objection to the Pride flag flown this past summer.
His attitude indicates he has strong objections as is evident from his statements.
He pointed to his belief that the whole village was not gay, and to this represents 95 per cent of the population. This information cannot be assumed to be correct, as there are a number of studies that point in various directions as to the percentage of LGBTQ+ people in our society.
Bishop, in his comments, assures us of his discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community in our society. He said, “The straight people built this nation, and now we’re being told we can’t say we’re straight.” He seems to be unaware that by this statement he admits he is a bigot who cannot even fathom the fact that many gay people were involved in building Canada, a nation that embraces equality under the law, yes, including LGBTQ+ folks.
Sexual orientation, gender identity, skin colour, the many languages we speak have been part of our world throughout history. Bishop is not alone believing that straight people are the one, and only people, who really count and are on the side of the law, as well as contemplating thoughts to further divide and not embrace diversity.
It’s a sad time when we remain on the radar as a minority to be discounted as not contributing to society, or indeed have a solid history. By threatening to take this issue to court, or challenging the village officials, he will surely be noted as a nonbeliever in his community. The word is that the majority of Chipman’s population are on the LGBTQ+ side and that indicates a strong desire to fix the problem.
Since when in this world have “straight” people experienced discrimination because of their sexual orientation?
Indeed, who would “choose” to be part of the LGBTQ+ community knowing the opposition associated with that, and the consequences, such as violence and other discriminatory actions that have been evident over the centuries. The rainbow flag is the symbol of pride in who we are and how we live, true to who we are meant to be, and we live our lives accordingly.