Pride
Why celebrate Pride Days? After all, your gender and sexuality isn’t anything particular to be proud of. The Gods determine your ethnicity, and your nationality, and your physical appearance, and your sexual orientation, and your talents – sports, music, nurturing, art, solving crossword puzzles, and your gender. So what’s to be so proud about?
It’s not so much about being proud of these things. It’s about solidarity. Showing people that you’re with them, embracing their diversity, enjoying their company, and standing beside them against anyone who would give them a hard time about their physical traits, sexual orientation, gender, identification, or whatever.
I’m proud of you. You exist. You have a specific gender – or maybe more than one. You can love whomever you want, get married (or don’t), live in any housing you can afford, work at any job you’re capable of, without anyone making choices for you based on your sexual orientation or gender.
This wasn’t always true. I can recall friends being denied housing, the right to marry, the privilege of joining the military or adopting a child. Pals could not make vital decisions for their spouses; instead parents or government workers could dictate how you’d be cared for in the hospital, or who would take care of your kids if you passed away. It’s fantastic that people no longer have to fight for basic rights.
OK, they might still have to fight, but the law’s on their side now.
Again, I’m proud of you. Now go do something amazing. Build relationships, careers, and homes. Be a parent (or don’t). Educate yourself. Gain a skill. Pursue a hobby. Work on your talent for singing, gardening, making furniture, dancing, playing basketball. THAT is what Pride Month is about. Your gender, or sexual orientation, or identity does not get in the way of what you want to DO.