CITY STORIES

TAKING PRIDE IN PRIDE MONTh

Growing up in the Deep South, my gay friends were ostracized. In NYC, they’re celebrated, and I celebrate with them.

i never understood the hate…

One of the reasons I love Pride Month (and New York City in general) is because it celebrates the very idea on which this country was founded. Freedom. The freedom for ALL people to be their most authentic selves and live their lives to the fullest.

Growing up, I had a lot of gay friends, but they had to pretend to be straight. If they “came out” in deep-south Alabama in the 1980s, they’d be mocked and shamed, possibly beaten, or perhaps even killed. These were people I’d known since elementary school. They didn’t “turn” gay. They were always gay. I didn’t “turn” straight, either. I was always straight.

I never understood the kind of hate my friends in the gay community had to endure. I was raised in a conservative home. I went to church every Sunday. And even though I got in trouble regularly for “asking too many questions,” I remember learning two important lessons that Jesus taught: Judge not lest you be judged, and love your neighbor as yourself. What my gay friends experienced from the so-called “Christian” community back then (and now, still) was anything but Christ-like.

My dad was a true bible scholar and a very spiritual person, but he did not attend church regularly. He wasn’t a fan of organized religion. More specifically, he hated the “holier-than-thou” attitudes and hypocrisy that was rampant inside the church. Dad loved and accepted everyone. His motto was “love people, just love them.” He brought homeless people and hitchhikers back to our house and made dinner for them. He was more Christ-like than the majority of people who were in church every single Sunday.

My dad set the example for how I’ve tried to live my life. And that’s why I’m fiercely protective and supportive of my LGBTQ+ friends and family. I also share his disdain for the hypocrites…

…the ones who’ve been married three or four times but constantly preach about “the sanctity of marriage.” (what a joke)

… the ones obsessed with things like drag-queen-story-hour and the “grooming” of young children, but whom are quick to ignore (or in some cases justify) rampant sexual abuse inside the church. Also, the art of drag has been around forever. I grew up watching comedian Flip Wilson perform as “Geraldine“ and never felt like I was being groomed.

…the ones who say they want to protect kids from some “trans-agenda,” yet don’t give a fuck that 12 children die every day from gun violence.

…the ones who are concerned about trans women in their daughters’ locker rooms, yet voted for and continually worship a convicted rapist who bragged about “grabbing women by the pussy.”

…and especially the ones that quote Leviticus to justify their hate while wearing a poly-blend shirt and posting memes on Facebook about how much they love bacon.

These are the kind of people that show up to protest at Pride parades. So I show up to try and counter-balance them.

On Sunday, June 29th, you’ll find me somewhere down in the West Village at the Pride parade…cheering on the LGBTQ+ community…championing love and celebrating freedom.

Because that’s what it’s all about.

update…photos & videos from the parade

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