I do not receive inappropriate comments or jokes about my sexual orientation. I have never been yelled at or slapped. No people have ever started booing when I kiss my girlfriend in public while shouting at us, "Can I join in?"
Why not? 

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I am straight. 

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But Koen, why are you writing something about Pride Month? 

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Good question! I too was thinking: as a straight person, shouldn't I just keep my mouth shut this month? Can I say anything "good" about this at all, not being part of the community myself? I love that we are celebrating love and acceptance this month, but on the other hand, I am also ashamed. Because apparently we - straight people - simply cannot accept and embrace our beautiful fellow man enough yet.

What is Pride Month?

To return to the question, I believe it is just right for anyone who is not part of the queer community to take a moment to reflect on Pride Month. What many of us have forgotten or simply don't know: Pride Month once started as a protest, it finds its origins in the Stonewall riots in New York. Queer people who, at the time, were literally fighting for emancipation. The fact that most of us now see it as a celebration shows how far we have come. Yet we are not there yet and that is why I am writing this. As a straight man. For Pride Month.
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Indeed, in the Netherlands, 7 out of 10 queers still experience physical or verbal violence. This ranges from examples in the first paragraphs to extreme violence. These are experiences that we heterosexuals simply do not have to deal with. So my fellow heterosexuals, let's solve this queerphobic bullshit (I don't have a better word for it) together. Let's take the baton from them, they've been running long enough.

Pride Month, a cozy party or more than that?

After all, this is not about one party a year, but about all the times queer persons did have to think about whether they could indicate that they are in a non-heterosexual relationship in a job interview. Or being yelled at on the street. Or being physically assaulted on the streetcar. Or. Or. There are unfortunately too many examples to list, and anyone who has felt, or still feels, unsafe because of their sexual orientation is someone too many. So believe me, and especially the queer community, that it is really much needed to give extra attention to this. Preferably 12 months out of the year. 

So yes, what I have to say about Pride Month? Invest in trying to understand each other and focus on what we can do differently and better with and for each other. Can we agree to skip the questions, "Is Pride Month really necessary?" or "Is it all that bad then?" from now on? And when we do hear these questions, inform our fellow heteros about the origins of Pride Month and why, even in 2023, it is still so relevant.