Click here to join the Pride Center!
Check out the New Alternative Phone Book:
"My Out and About"
|
What's Pride Got to do with it? Everything.
Most of us would be pretty hard pressed to say that we don’t have any sense of pride in our everyday lives. Everything from doing a good job at work to putting our kids’ grades or artwork on the refrigerator speaks to our sense of dignity and self-respect. Pride is not a creation of the LGBT communities, but rather it’s been learned from our parents, exemplified by our heroes, and taught to ourselves.
It’s also more than a colorful rainbow or a hot guy or girl scantily clad on an outrageous float. But just because pride is more than how we celebrate it, that doesn’t mean the celebration should be ignored.
For too much of the year, many in our communities face the dark days of shame from our families, fear from being out or ‘outed’ at work, or guilt from heterosexist messages that devalue and denigrate our relationships. Perhaps that’s why our time in the sun takes on such a vocal and celebrative tone.
Once a year, be it for a day, a weekend or a month, we get together and collectively celebrate our lives. Our sense of unity and togetherness cements our bonds with families, friends and partners; and shows to the rest of the community that while we continue to make great strides in achieving equal rights, our identity remains wonderfully diverse.
So do you have to fit a perfect mold to enjoy a Pride celebration? Absolutely not, just come out and enjoy yourself – happy, proud and in the full light of day.
- Jim Ver Steeg, Executive Director
|
