Pride is an okay word for it. It can be the pride of having fought for equal rights and actually gotten somewhere (or all the way depending on where you live), as a group.
But pride on a personal level also involves self-respect and self-esteem, and 1. if you've been brought up to be disgusted with what you eventually identify with, it's not always easy to have the sort of pride, 2. if a majority of people insults you/considers you inferior because of that trait it's also harder to still feel alright with it.

True. Since my underlying sexual orientation is still there under my self control, I'm not really choosing my orientation.

But, if I choose to excersize self control over long periods of time, I could loose my originial personality and change my default orientation possibly.

Wow, are people still using the ridiculously outdated statistic that one out of ten people are gay?

This isn't aimed at anyone in particular, I'm just responding to a notion I've seen creeping in this and other threads recently...

I don't really understand how anyone can complain about any type of pride. Gay, racial, etc. Pride is a positive countering a negative. It basically means one has overcome hardship and is at peace. I keep seeing people say things like "you don't see white pride or straight pride!" Of course not, heterosexuals and caucasians do not see wide discrimination and oppression in America, what exactly is there to come to terms with?

You know that you're basically agreeing with the church's "Going Straight" programs?

You can not change your default orienation. If you do try it, you won't get rid of the feelings and it is unhealthy for you. Those feelings will be there

There are a lot of places you can go, this is just one of them.

That statistic has been floating around for a while, and since no one has ever really questioned it, it has been accepted as fact. It's really sad.

The new statistic is between 1-2 %.

You're probably reading the estimates by citizens.

dtewi, I don't believe that your orientation never changes. I don't agree with the churches method, I think it's rather uneeded, as being straight isn't needed. Also, they usually tell them to rely on the lord rather than their own will, and you can imagine how effective that is...

I do think you can change the default orientation, not that I would want to. You do know that every cell in your body is replaced every 7 years? You're a different person. Brain chemistry can change by concious effort, over long period of time you can change any aspect of your personality and even forget memories of when you acted like a different person. Like, I remember nearly nothing from my childhood(0-13), and I'm only 17.

I couldn't care less if you're gay, strait, bisexual or attracted to inanimate objects.

I really couldn't care less. Sexuality has and always be a non issue to me.

Aslong as the love is mutual between two adults it really matters not which side of the fence they're on. Living a life where you accept what you are is infinitely better then repressing yourself or others.