Much like the sun always rising in the east and setting in the west, you can count on Pride Month discourse to start up the second the clock strikes midnight on June 1.
The debates aren’t new. Every year, the internet has the same arguments over whether kink should be allowed at Pride, whether Pride is appropriate for children, and whether or not we want the support of corporations at Pride.
And then there is the debate over whether bisexual women should be allowed to bring their cishet boyfriends to Pride. It crops up every year, but in 2024, people on social media are raging about it.
Has "no kink at Pride" discourse been replaced entirely by "no cishet boyfriends at Pride" discourse? Bc honestly I think that means the corporate takeover of Pride is complete
— Shane (@shaneferro) June 3, 2024
In case you’ve somehow missed this discourse, some people think Pride isn’t the place for cis het men, even if they are in a relationship with a bisexual or pansexual woman. People argue that Pride isn’t about straight people and that having cishet men there makes marginalized groups feel less safe.
“this has nothing to do with anyone being bisexual but I don’t want ur cishet bf in a queer space like leave him at home don’t bring him to Pride. don’t bring him to chappell roan. why would a MAN be there,” @k1ndbutnotsoft wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
this has nothing to do with anyone being bisexual but I don’t want ur cishet bf in a queer space 😭 like leave him at home don’t bring him to pride. don’t bring him to chappell roan. why would a MAN be there.
— joci ⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ (@k1ndbutnotsoft) June 1, 2024
While the concern that having cishet men at Pride is somewhat understandable, considering Pride is a space where people go to protest, party, and express their sexuality and gender identity in a safe, supportive environment, other people argue that the whole argument is steeped in biphobia and that the queer community should be welcoming allies not turning them away — especially during a time when anti-LGBTQ+ laws are sweeping the country.
Some people also pointed out that you can’t possibly tell if someone is cisgender or heterosexual just by looking at them, so the whole discourse is ridiculous.
Threads @scretladyspider
Post by @paulthinksaudhdView on Threads
Then there are those arguing that bisexual women with cishet boyfriends should take a seat because they are the safest and don’t face the same barriers in society that other LGBTQ+ people do.
Threads @thefemmehistorian
Conversely, @beelhaynes pointed out on Threads that bi-women aren’t more “privileged” because they have a higher rate of suicide than heterosexual women.
On the other hand, @flordematos argued on Threads that “exclusivity” is vital to Pride. “Exclusivity is equally important for many cases, and Pride sometimes does need to be an exclusive event to provide security to many people. Pride started as a riot not a party,” they wrote.
Threads @heelhaynes
Threads @flordematos
We’re only five days into Pride Month, and the discourse is already reaching a fever pitch. And since it doesn’t look like it will be slowing down any time soon, we should probably all brace for the fact that we’ll likely hear this same debate crop up again in 2025. See you then!
