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Someone asked ‘Why is it wrong to fly a straight flag?’ The response is a must-read.

Someone asked ‘Why is it wrong to fly a straight flag?’ The response is a must-read.

Not everyone needs a pride flag of their own. Be grateful for that.

With the ever-growing focus on identity politics, it's only natural that people from groups who have not traditionally been marginalized might begin to wonder where they fit in.

There are movements for gender, ethnic, sexual and religious minorities who are fighting for their rights, and often their very survival, on a daily basis. But what about everyone else?


Is it wrong for white people, heterosexuals and men to have “pride" in their identities?

On one hand, the short answer should be “no, there's nothing wrong with that." Even groups that aren't currently facing prejudice or threats to their identity have a heritage of struggle. Italian, Irish and Jewish Americans are largely lumped into “white culture" in 2018 but their legacy of oppression is very real and not as distant as some might think. And when pride is used for the betterment of all, it can be a powerful, community building tool.

And yet seemingly every example we see today of people wanting “pride" or more focus on powerful, non-marginalized groups seems to stem from those who would mask hatred and division under the guise of community.

Is there a single “white pride" group out there that isn't racist? If so, I certainly haven't heard of them.

This is exactly what happened during the 2016 Election when the forces behind Donald Trump's campaign were able to manipulate the real grievances of poor, white working men and women into a larger campaign of dissent and misinformation. White people, straight people and men do suffer just like everyone else -- but those who seem most focused on highlighting that suffering are doing so with dangerous motives.

Take for example the question over whether there should be a “straight pride" flag to match the iconic rainbow flag. Not only does it sound silly and unnecessary on the surface. If you have any doubts about the merits of a straight pride movement, just look at their flag. There's something inherently unseemly and menacing about it:

So, when someone on Quora posed the question, “Why is it wrong to fly a straight pride flag?" the response was something that is a must-read for everyone, but especially those still not sure why so many marginalized groups are using the power of identity politics to push for greater equality and systemic change:

Context is everything. Intent is everything. As a straight, white man it can sometimes feel like those who fall outside those labels are telling me that my life has been free of struggle and pain. And sure, maybe some people are sending that message and believe it to be true.

But the real message is that most people like me have never had to truly live outside the norms of a society, keeping our true selves hidden and wondering what the very real consequences might be if we were exposed.

Things are improving rapidly for a number of historically marginalized groups. There will be setbacks along the way and it's a learning process for everyone.

Just because straight people don't need a flag of their own isn't a reason to feel left out. It's a reason to feel grateful for the privileges we have enjoyed and to keep working to extend those privileges to everyone.

After that, maybe we can all wave one flag of victory together.


Time travel back to 1905.

Back in 1905, a book called "The Apples of New York" was published by the New York State Department of Agriculture. It featured hundreds of apple varieties of all shapes, colors, and sizes, including Thomas Jefferson's personal favorite, the Esopus Spitzenburg.






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Photo by Katerina Holmes|Canva

Mom in tears after another parent calls about daughter's lunch


People say having children is like having your heart walk around outside of your body. You send them off to school, practices or playdates and hope that the world treats them kindly because when they hurt, you hurt. Inevitably there will be times when your child's feelings are hurt so you do your best to prepare for that day.

But what prepares you for when the child you love so much winds up accidentally healing your inner child. A mom on TikTok, who goes by Soogia posted a video explaining a phone call she received from a parent in her daughter's classroom. The mom called to inform Soogia that their kids had been sharing lunch with each other.

Soogia wasn't prepared for what came next. The classmate's mother informed her that her son loves the food Soogia's daughter brings to school and wanted to learn how to cook it too.

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Listen to this organ in Croatia that uses the sea to make hauntingly beautiful music

It's a 230-foot-long organ that turns the rhythm of the waves into actual music.


In 2005, a Croatian architect designed a 230-foot-long organ that turns the rhythm of the waves into actual music.

Nope, not nonsensical bellows or chaotic tones. Real, actual, music.

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A comic from The Oatmeal illustrates how we're missing the mark on happiness.

I do the things that are meaningful to me, even if they don't make me "happy."

By Matthew Inman/The Oatmeal. Used with permission.

How to Be Perfectly Happy


Matthew Inman is the Eisner Award-winning author of The Oatmeal. He's published six books, including New York Times Best-Sellers such as "How to Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You"and "The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances."He enjoys running marathons, writing comics, and eating cake.

You can read more of Matthew's comics here.

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Sweeping UN study finds that 9 out of 10 people worldwide are biased against women

In other words, 9 out of 10 people worldwide—both men and women—are biased against women in vital areas that impact the world in major ways.

Photo by Joe Gardner on Unsplash

As the U.S. ramps into an all-too-familiar presidential election cycle where the only viable candidates left on the ballot are men, the UN announces a study that may—at least partially—explain why.

The Gender Social Norms Index released yesterday by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) offers a look at gender equality as measured by people's personal gender bias. The data, which was collected from 75 countries covering 81% of the world's population, found that 91% of men and 86% of women show at least one clear bias against women in the areas of politics, economics, education, and physical integrity.

In other words, 9 out of 10 people worldwide—both men and women—are biased against women in vital areas that impact the world in major ways. Splendid.

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