Because sexuality is a lot like race, it's how you are... it isn't something you truly have control over, and it isn't something that having pride in makes a ton of sense across the board.

If everyone is to be equal, we have to see ourselves as equals. Having "pride" in something you didn't even have any control over isn't helpful to me. White, black, gay, etc. "pride" causes more problems than it solves IMO.

Also, why is it important to verbally tell people your sexual preferences? And more importantly why is it only important for gay or bisexual people? I'm not being rude with that question, I legitimately want to know.

I agree that acceptance is the way to go, and I'd accept anybody who came out as gay or whatever, I simply would also accept them if they DIDN'T tell me that. I'm not religious and I don't hold any prejudices against gay people or whatever so I suppose maybe that's the issue with some of the family stuff.

Because we all assume everybody is heterosexual, or possibly gay when you may not be are you not proud of who you are ?
I have not achieved great things in my life with regards to work or exams etc., but I am proud of raising two wonderful sons who have always done us proud I am proud of helping my husband achieve his aims and goals in his working life why shouldn't I be proud of those things ? I am proud of being there for my parents when they needed me even if it was amazingly and frustratingly hard work at times.
I am proud that I will try to help whenever possible and proud that that makes me thought of as being a nice and understanding human being.
Are you saying you have nothing to be proud of or you feel you cannot feel proud of who you are not worthy of telling people you are proud of the things you feel you have achieved ?
You do not need to shout it off the roof tops I agree but we should all feel proud of who we are and what we have achieved even if small in comparison to others. If gay people want to feel proud they are different and that it is mostly accepted in society now and hold gay marches then I say go ahead. There was a time it was a criminal offence and here in the UK people were put in prison. Still in some countries this still applies and even worse in some they are put to death so I think personally they have a lot to feel proud of and too shout about.

I should think so too......

I guess it's more about relationships than sexuality. I have family and friends some of who are "out" and some who are "in". It's just kind of easier to acknowledge a couple who are proud to be a couple, rather than your uncle's best friend who has lived with him for forty years. They're still a happy couple too, but will never publicly announce they are a couple. It's up to the individual.

You made my point. We should be proud of things we had control over, things we accomplished as an individual, we should not place pride where it doesn't belong, such as our race, gender, sexuality etc. If gay people wish to hold gay marches, go ahead... it's their right.

If white/black people wish to hold marches announcing how proud they are of their race... it's their right. If women/men wish to hold marches stating they are proud of their gender... it's their right. Do you see where I'm going with this? Certain types of pride really are not as good or useful as they are chalked up to be.

We all assume everyone is straight? I don't do that. I don't assume anything one way or the other because it matters not a shred to me. No, I'm not "proud of who I am". I find that harmful, you should be proud of what you've done, not who you are.

Of course I have things I'm proud of, but my race, gender, sexuality or anything else I had no control over is not one of them and it never will be. That's just how I feel is best for everything. just my own personal views on where pride belongs.

Well each to their own Myra. I feel if people are proud of their sexual persuasion and want to flaunt it good for them if people are proud of their race good for them if they want to flaunt it I personally do not find it a problem.

I'm kinda with Myra tbh. I never think about anyone's sexuality, my son's never announced they were hetrosexual we just gathered they were because they brought girls home. I didn't give a sigh of relief that my kids were straight. All I wanted them to be was happy. When my stepson lived here I made his boyfriends feel as welcome as my sons girlfriends. If you keep making a big deal out of your sex life so will others. It's personal and private why announce it to the world. If my sons had said they were gay I would have probably said so. We don't do big displays and announcements, my kids know they are loved for who they are.
Celebrities I understand a bit more as they are generally seen as role models and if people know they are gay they may well feel more comfortable with their own sexuality.

Yes and that's what I was saying I think its important for families to know but I think Myra's opinion is even families don't need to know. Sorry if I have that wrong.
Personally for me if people want too announce it to the world good for them I don't have to read about it or listen to it if I don't want too.
I do not buy papers for that reason I selectively choose what I want to read on the net.
It doesn't bother me either what people's sexuality is the same as it doesn't bother me if they wish to shout it from the roof tops.

I must admit my attitude tends to be 'who cares' which is what I thought Myra meant about her family. It's nobodies business but your own.

I think too that pride is a beautiful thing. Even fifty years ago you could be arrested or thrown in a psych ward if there was suspicion you were "funny that way". So the culture come a long way. Then again when I lived in small town PA a decade ago it was like being in a time warp. One bookstore in town and any books dealing with gender studies, even just women's rights were back in a dark stockroom. You were free to go back and browse, but the governing morality meant they had to be hidden. It wasn't porn, but too controversial to be on display.