Human rights; an issue that has been long debated, long discussed, long determined what it is even defined as. Well today as I talk about human rights I am going to specifically talk about LGBTQ rights, and what I attended for the very first time: a pride parade.
It was a sunny day in Dublin, Ireland, which is impressive considering the forecast spelled out rain for the whole day. I headed out with my rainbow feather boa (which I quickly traded for a flag and a t-shirt!) and face paint, ready to enjoy a parade and smile and laugh with my friends that came with me! And we did, we laughed and smiled and enjoyed our day, eating lunch at a small cafe awaiting the parade, as we had accidentally started at the end of the route (I've never been great with directions, and if you're reading this and know me this is NO shock to you). We made our way to a park, where there were booths and stands set up, awaiting parade goers and Dubliners alike. We were welcomed with free ice cream, hula hoops, surveys, flags, and above all else, a sense of warmth and welcome. This touched my heart. And I'm going to side tract for a moment, because I loved this part!
While my friends and I were hula hooping--only one of us had a lot of success with this and it wasn't me if you were wondering--we met a mother and her look-a-like daughter. Now a few things happened in these next few moments for me. I was instantly reminded of my mom, and how much I missed her. These two were best friends, and I'm missing mine. The second thing that happened was I saw a shared connection for a common cause. They were at this pride parade together, and were happy to be there. They laughed and joked with each other, telling us stories of when they would dress up and embarrass each other, but mostly how much they admired each other. They didn't outright say that they thought the other was cool or anything, but the way they watched the other tell a story, and how they'd laugh and hug was admirable, especially as the girl was maybe 14 years of age.
And they weren't the only family that I saw that day.
Dublin Pride was filled with, yes millennials, but also families, and a surprising amount of an older generation rallied as well. This might be me being closed minded, and it probably is, but I wasn't expecting that. But I sure was happy because of it. This was an event that everyone could, and did, enjoy.
But to a deeper note, there was something else that I wanted to say.
Pride parades are not a celebration of freedom. Yes it is a celebration, and often times gay marriages are recognized by law, and we have made advances in the treatment of people who identify as LGBTQ. However, that certainly does not mean that everything is OK. And it certainly does not bring back the dozens of lives that have been lost from terror attacks on the LGBTQ community. And it's not just Orlando. Kids are bullied in schools, even though this new generation seems to be more open. People are still being harassed, embarrassed, insulted and assaulted for their identities. And this surely won't change overnight, but it changes with each heart that is touched by happiness felt, or by the group pictured below.
This group of queer anarchists (photo taken from @PeterMcGuireIE on Twitter) stood outside of the Iona Institute in Dublin, in protest, as the Institute has openly been homophobic and promotes "the place of marriage and religion in society" according to their website, which, yes, sounds harmless, but there comes a point when you take away other's rights, and that's not OK. Being a visitor to Ireland, I can't say a whole lot on this subject, but I do know that there was excitement, intensity, and some serious pride in this picture and that was felt standing across from this very spot. This group hung two banners reading "homophobia kills" above the establishment on Saturday, June 25, 2016. As they rolled these down, I found myself cheering and clapping, because when it came down to it, they were right.
So to the people who asked me "Why don't we have a straight pride?" please, kindly excuse yourself from talking to me. You have never been persecuted for being straight. You have never feared for your life because of the fact that you identify as heterosexual. Every day is a pride day for you because every day you walk around, in a comfortable state of mind, in what you want to wear and how you naturally are, and no one gawks or points at you. No one treats you differently for that reason. You, I'm sure, have fought your own fights, but this is not one of them.
