Being a part of the LGBTQ+ community has always been fun for me. I've seen my friends come out, my favorite celebrities come out, and myself come out. Having pride in who we are is not a foreign concept to my friends and I; we always show the world our true colors. For us, whoever "us" may be that year, the Pride Parade is always something to look forward to. It's an entire day of embracing "us" and the world around us, clad in glitter and every color of the rainbow. Calling NYC Pride an experience is an understatement, because if you've ever been to the parade, you know it's the definition of fun.
Going to Pride is something I've enjoyed doing for three years now. I remember the first year I went like it was yesterday. President Obama had given the go for legalizing gay marriage, and the parade was three days later. It was a magical celebration of proposals left and right. Last year's pride was a bit more solemn in that it occurred two weeks after the shooting at Pulse nightclub. I remember people crying at the parade when there were "angels" marching for the lives lost that day. This year's pride was special to me because it truly encompassed what it meant to be part of a loving community.
I spent most of my day walking. Walking to the bus, to the train, to find that my group of friends were on the other side of the street, to find my other group of friends 45 blocks away, and to find little pieces of myself along the way. I saw familiar faces, unfamiliar faces, people in leather, and children with ear plugs. I made a donation to a woman who painted the most elaborate glitter rainbow on my face. She said she hadn't seen any of the parade, so I watched her palette for her while she got up and danced for a few minutes. It's small things like this that make NYC Pride stand out from the rest.
When I finally got to my group of friends that I spent the most time with, I was exhausted but nonetheless excited. One of my best friends, the only person to spend all three years at Pride with me, danced along to the music and I swear the smile on his face could light up the blackest darkness. We had free stuff thrown in our faces: whistles, flags, lube, and condoms. We kept in touch with our worrisome parents (one of us even got a phone call), and above all we ceased the day. NYC Pride is a day of happiness amidst the harsh social climate we often face, and should be celebrated to the utmost degree. If you couldn't make it to Pride this year, make it a goal to get to next year's Pride Parade!