Whether or not you personally celebrate Pride Month, the LGBTQ community has collectively come a long way, baby.
From the protests and riots of the 1960s to the parades and parties that followed, what began as a fight for visibility and basic dignity has grown into a movement that has changed countless lives.
I came out in 1994 when I was 21. Back then, coming out felt a lot different than it does today. There were fewer role models. Less visibility. Less acceptance.
For many people, coming out still involves risking family, friends, jobs, housing, and community. In some parts of the world, being LGBTQ remains dangerous if not deadly.
That’s one reason Pride Month matters.
It gives us a chance to celebrate how far we’ve come. Not just the big victories. Not just the court rulings and political milestones. But the small victories matter too.
Being able to introduce your partner without hesitation. Holding hands in public. Seeing LGBTQ characters in books, film, tv, pop culture, and public life. Finding community and support without feeling completely alone.
Those things may seem ordinary now. That’s exactly what makes them extraordinary.
Progress happens so gradually that we forget what life looked like before.
I think about the generations that came before mine. Those who marched when it wasn’t safe. Those who fought for rights many of us now take for granted. Those who paid enormous personal costs simply for being themselves.
Many never got to see the changes they helped create. I did. I bet you did too.
That doesn’t mean the work is finished.
Rights can be challenged. Acceptance can change. Around the world, many LGBTQ people still face discrimination, harassment, and violence.
Pride has always been both a celebration and a reminder.
A celebration of progress.
A reminder that progress requires people willing to fight for more.
Fortunately, resilience has always been one of our community’s greatest strengths. We’ve spent generations learning how to support one another better, adapt, organize, and keep moving forward. Together.
That’s worth celebrating.
So this Pride Month…
Celebrate marriage equality.
Celebrate greater visibility.
Celebrate every person who feels safe enough to live openly and honestly.
Celebrate the teenager who found the courage to come out.
Celebrate the parent who chose love over fear.
Celebrate the ally who spoke up when it mattered.
Celebrate the fact that somewhere, someone is discovering they aren’t alone.
Pride isn’t just about remembering where we’ve been. It’s also about recognizing how far we’ve come and imagining what comes next.
After everything this community has accomplished and endured over the years, I think we’ve earned the right to celebrate. So don’t be tardy to the party.
Keep calm and Pride on!
Clint 🌈✌️
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FROM THE ARCHIVES
BORN THIS WAY ON THIS DAY
06-01 = Brandi Carlile (1981- ) = American singer-songwriter 🌈
06-01 = Cleavon Little (1939-1992) = American actor and comedian 🌈
06-01 = Ferron (1952- ) = Canadian singer-songwriter 🌈
06-01 = Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962) = American model and actor 🌈
06-01 = Michael McDowell (1950-1999) = American author and screenwriter 🌈
GIRL CRUSH OF THE DAY
“I’m selfish, impatient, and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I’m out of control, and at times hard to handle. But if you can’t handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don’t deserve me at my best.”
Marilyn Monroe
MARILYN MONROE: HOLLYWOOD ICON
(Academy Museum Of Motion Pictures)
Clint, Thanks for this piece on PRIDE. I am old enough that I experienced "it" before, during, and after and continuing to this day. It is a never ending battle and we must talk about it, write about it, live it with pride. Thanks, Fondly, Michael