Happy Pride Month

I recall a few years ago, I was having a conversation about gay pride with a young person.

“Why are people ‘proud’ of their sexual orientation?” they asked. “I mean, straight people aren’t proud to be straight, right? Why are people proud to be gay?”

The person was genuinely curious, so I shared my perspective:

“Pride means one can be open and comfortable with who they are. People who are not LGBTQ already have this. They are, in fact, proud. Open. Comfortable. Not threatened. Safe. Unashamed. That’s what gay pride is about. An aspiration that LGBTQ individuals should also be proud. Because we as a society don’t have that yet.”

In June, we celebrate this aspiration. Happy Pride Month. 🏳️‍🌈