I want to talk about Pride. When I say the word, half of you will most likely roll your eyes, while the other half have no idea what I’m talking about. No, I’m not talking about one of the seven deadly sins here. I want to talk about the Pride parade, and why everyone should go at least once. I went to my first Pride event when I was 20 years old. I barely knew anyone in Orlando, and it was at the urging of a friend that I went.
Never in my life have I felt so wholly accepted and loved.
Not because I was gay, and not because I was anything other than myself. I really have no words to convey the love and unity that I experienced at my first Pride. I got an open-door view into who the gay community is; into what they stand for. I also got a firsthand look at the oppression that they deal with on a daily basis. On the sidelines of the parade were protesters, holding signs proclaiming that we were all going to hell, and that “God hates Fags.” Reading about it online is nothing like seeing it in person. I got slapped in the face with the reality that there are people that have nothing but hate in their hearts.
I’m not a biblical scholar, but the God I believe in is a God of love, not hate.
Writing this article is very difficult for me, because I’ve seen both sides. When I was younger, I thought gay people were disgusting and were going to hell. I would never say that to their face, because I knew that was not my place to say so. But experiencing it firsthand, there is nowhere else that I’ve felt the love and support that I felt at Lake Eola that day. While your religious beliefs may not support gay rights, I strongly encourage everyone to go to a Pride parade.
It might change your mind. It might not.
On June 12, 2016, 49 people were killed inside a gay nightclub right here in Orlando. I cried all day. While I did not know anyone personally, my heart ached for the entire gay community. Forty-nine lives were snuffed out just because they were gay. They didn’t take over another nightclub for the night, they were in a space thought to be safe, a space where they could be themselves without worry. While 49 were killed, 53 others were injured. To this day, it sickens me to think of the aftermath. Every time I drive past it, I feel so many emotions. I get angry, sad, and proud. Proud of how the community handled it, proud of how it stands decorated as a reminder to be who you are.
Pride is so much more than a bunch of gay people running around acting a fool.
It is people getting the chance to be who they are without fear of judgement. It is a safe space to let loose and have fun. For all you straight people that are thinking that Pride isn’t for you because you’re straight, you’re wrong. Pride is for everyone, as long as you are willing to be respectful. The funny thing that I’ve learned from going to Pride is that it doesn’t matter if you’re gay, straight, bisexual, asexual, or anything else. You are loved. You are respected. You are included, and you are appreciated.
