Virtual Pride

Hello there friend, how are you? I am writing in the middle of Pride month. Happy Pride!

Of course, Pride is looking quite different this year. Just like many celebrations that happened already this year-Easter, Passover, Ramadan-Pride is being held in isolation. Most Pride events around the world have been canceled. Any remaining Pride gatherings will be virtual events, held online for anyone to log on and participate. Not exactly the way any of us thought we would be celebrating the month.

And let's be honest, there isn't much of a mood to celebrate right now. The unjust killings of black people in America have the country on edge. We were all traumatized by the pandemic, spending weeks-months-in our homes in isolation. Throw the righteous outrage and protest that is happening right now, no one is celebrating. There is no reason to celebrate at this time. It would be careless, and thoughtless, to celebrate when others are in crisis.

In Indianapolis, most of the Pride events were canceled, to stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. There is one event still on the roster of Pride, a virtual event, taking place this Sunday. It will broadcast on YouTube and Facebook and other social media outlets.

While it is right that the in person Pride festival and festivities were canceled, I have to confess that I miss not being able to go to the festival. This is the 50th anniversary of the first Pride parade. The riot at the Stonewall  were in 1969. The next year, New York City held the first Pride parade.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/first-pride-marches-photos-1-180972379/

Pride is an amazing day. Living in a conservative state, Pride is the one day a year that I feel I can truly be myself. I can congregate with others just like me. Everyone is welcome at Pride, absolutely everyone. LGBTQ+ people, their allies, everyone that believes that every person should have equal rights, they are welcome at Pride.

As I write this, I remember last year's Pride festival. Outside the boundary of the park where the festival was held, there was a preacher with a bull horn, spreading his message. He was preaching to us, basically telling us that all queer people were doomed to an eternity in hell. I viewed his "message" as noise, not worth my time or attention. 

Upon leaving Pride, I was shocked and amazed at what I saw as we drove past. A crowd had gathered around the preacher, still spewing his message of hate. The crowd wasn't listening to the preacher, or even booing at him. Instead the crowd was singing. They were singing a song collectively as one, to drown out the preacher. It was a beautiful moment that brought a tear to my eye. There, in the face of hate, the crowd chose peace through music. One of my favorite sentiments and sentences.

https://peacemonger.org/MS015--Peace-Through-Music-Mini-Bumper-Sticker_p_1026.html

Now that I think about it, there is reason to celebrate with Pride. This week the United States Supreme Court made a landmark ruling that declares that LGBTQ+ people cannot be legally fired from their job based on their gender identity or sexual orientation. Anyone who identifies as LGBTQ, or any other of the hundreds of thousands of orientations and identities, cannot be fired from their jobs because of who they are, who they love, or how God made them to be. That means that I too can never be fired because of how God made me.

This decision by the court is equally as big as the decision on marriage equality, which was finally passed in the U.S. in 2015. It is a huge win for those of us in the LGBTQ+ family. It is staggering that this decision came down in favor of LGBTQ+ rights, as the Supreme Court of the U.S. is now a conservative court. It is also a blow to the current resident in the White House.

 

Tweet from the show Kinky Boots in 2015

https://www.cnn.com/2015/06/26/politics/white-house-rainbow-marriage/index.html

There is work to do for true equality for the LGBTQ communities. Employment is but one area in which we need equality. Here is what is included in the Equality Act, a legislation that the U.S. Senate has not yet passed:

 

As for me, I am finding small ways to celebrate Pride. I have changed all of my social media profile pictures to Pride flag images, incorporating the Black Lives Matter message. 

I have donated to organizations that are working to bring about lasting social change, the Equal Justice Initiative: https://eji.org/

and Color of Change: https://colorofchange.org/

I have donated to the Audre Lorde Project, an LGBTQ organization that helps the QTPOC communities (Queer or Trans People of Color):

https://alp.org/

I made purchases from companies that offer Pride merchandise and make charitable donations based on merchandise sold. For example, I just got this pair of sunglasses from Zenni:

100% of purchases of Pride products purchased from Zenni will benefit the It Gets Better Project. Click the link below to find the right glasses/sunglasses for you!

https://www.zennioptical.com/pride-glasses

I am also listening to my Pride playlist that I made on my phone, and one on YouTube, of LGBTQ+ artists and allies:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLh4Z_APVmNXaXP_gejh_f6btf-VEvbFjA

I am also watching Queer Eye season 5, and Pose Season 2, and Disclosure, all new on Netflix.

While I cannot attend a Pride festival, I live every day of my life, living as an demisexual cisgender heterosexual woman, advocating for other LGBTQ+ and QTPOC family members like me, living my life as my true self. 

If you are not LGBTQ+, find out how you can be a true ally to friends and family and coworkers. Work to pass the Equality Act so we can have true equal rights in America.

If you are LGBTQ+, I see you, I validate you. You're beautiful and I love you. Have Pride in how God made you to be. I wish you love, happiness, and a fabulous virtual Pride.