I didn't go to the pride parade. I forgot to put on my rainbow bracelet when I dashed out the door over the weekend. I didn't buy any flags, or go to a march or even stay on the channel long when I saw the highlights on tv. I've been to pride events in NY, San Francisco, Amsterdam, London and smaller venues and I'll go again. Some years I need to go, some years I don't. But what did I do this year? It's a good question. And this year, I began to fully realize that PRIDE month and weekend truly is our Christmas, our National holiday. So instead of just deciding whether or not I'd do or not do the events, it became for me, how I would truly celebrate and honor being who I am and being part of this community I love. So I celebrated in two ways. First, and somewhat by happenstance, I did some amazing self care by going to my first cuddle party. Realizing that my primary love language is touch, when I found out these existed, I signed up for the first available one nearby. It was an amazing restorative, loving and feeding experience that I highly recommend. Secondly, I spoke up, to just one person, on social media, who thinks differently than I do, and I'd like to share how I did that here. I am connected via Facebook to a few famous actors I admire who are also LGBTQI advocates and this particular one had posted something positive for PRIDE about keeping up the fight. She got a few questioning/dissenting messages from fans, and I felt compelled to respond to this particular one. I have no idea, of course, if what I said made an impact on her, but I tried to encourage her to be empathetic. So however you celebrate PRIDE this year, whether you identify in our family spectrum or see yourself as an ally, I hope you choose something to commemorate and honor us and those that have gone before us to recognize who we are, what we've done, and what we have yet to do. Merry Pride Ya'll!
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Comment by Fan "Carol"
What fight?? Gays have been around since the beginning of time...they just blended in, and lived their lives before.. I think back when I was a kid, and the first time I realized Liberace was different.. I didn't care...I just loved his show on TV...no one hurt him...so why all this drama today,,If you're gay,,no one really cares...just live your life. I know gay folks,,nice people.but they don't go around constantly shoving their sexuality in people's face..
Reply to "Carol" by Stacey
Hi Carol. I'd like to take this moment, during PRIDE wkd, to point something out to you, as a lesbian woman, a mother, and an out gay woman for over 20 years of my 46 on this earth. I want you to ask yourself why it feels like people who aren't "blending in" and otherwise "looking straight" or not talking about their sexuality are more ok for you, than those like us, and PRIDE goers, advocates, outloud n prouders, perhaps non heteronorm looking gay people. My guess is that perhaps blending in is what you feel we all should do? Carol, let's say, for an example (I don't know this) that you were a Christian, and Christians had a long history of being persecuted, ridiculed and denied rights in our country. In fact, the majority of us found Christians to be not "normal" and many were still harassed, beaten, even killed both here and of course around the world for their beliefs. Let's say that recently we allowed Christians for the first time to marry, but many were still very vocal about there disgust about this etc etc. Do you see where I'm going with this? Would you, as a Christian, if you were one, feel it was important, if there was still bigotry going on in your country, still so many against your way of life, want to just blend in and hide your Christianity? Would you sneak and cover your bible up when walking to your church? Tell your friends you were going to the Mall instead? Try to fit in and not shove it in our faces? I would hope not. I would hope you'd pray out loud and proud and fight so hard for all you believed in.
Happy Pride Everyone.
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Comment by Fan "Carol"
What fight?? Gays have been around since the beginning of time...they just blended in, and lived their lives before.. I think back when I was a kid, and the first time I realized Liberace was different.. I didn't care...I just loved his show on TV...no one hurt him...so why all this drama today,,If you're gay,,no one really cares...just live your life. I know gay folks,,nice people.but they don't go around constantly shoving their sexuality in people's face..
Reply to "Carol" by Stacey
Hi Carol. I'd like to take this moment, during PRIDE wkd, to point something out to you, as a lesbian woman, a mother, and an out gay woman for over 20 years of my 46 on this earth. I want you to ask yourself why it feels like people who aren't "blending in" and otherwise "looking straight" or not talking about their sexuality are more ok for you, than those like us, and PRIDE goers, advocates, outloud n prouders, perhaps non heteronorm looking gay people. My guess is that perhaps blending in is what you feel we all should do? Carol, let's say, for an example (I don't know this) that you were a Christian, and Christians had a long history of being persecuted, ridiculed and denied rights in our country. In fact, the majority of us found Christians to be not "normal" and many were still harassed, beaten, even killed both here and of course around the world for their beliefs. Let's say that recently we allowed Christians for the first time to marry, but many were still very vocal about there disgust about this etc etc. Do you see where I'm going with this? Would you, as a Christian, if you were one, feel it was important, if there was still bigotry going on in your country, still so many against your way of life, want to just blend in and hide your Christianity? Would you sneak and cover your bible up when walking to your church? Tell your friends you were going to the Mall instead? Try to fit in and not shove it in our faces? I would hope not. I would hope you'd pray out loud and proud and fight so hard for all you believed in.
Happy Pride Everyone.