Running With Pride

It's June! You know what that means: Lots of daylight for long runs!

...Or, if you're like me, it means many short, sweaty, slow runs that require a lot of music to get through.

It's also Pride, of course! And what better way to celebrate Pride than to get out there, take to the sidewalks, and affirm your existence with the help of some upbeat running music?

Even if you're not a runner (and trust me, you're making the right decision), these songs are great for dancing, for feeling good, and for celebrating being who you are—not just in June, but all year round.

Here you will find a mix of genres: Some classic Pride anthems, some mellower tunes for slower jogs, and some electronic pop to get you smiling. They all come from my running playlists on Spotify.

Whether you run, dance, walk, or sit while you listen, I hope they brighten your day and make you feel affirmed, celebrated, and confident in who you are.

Enjoy!

1. "Elle Me Dit," Mika

Really, this entire list could be Mika songs. His catchy beats, colorful personality, and large catalogue of songs celebrating life and self-acceptance positively exude the spirit of Pride—and always have.

I chose this one for the top of my list, though, because it's my favorite Mika song, my favorite running song, and my favorite all around be-who-you-are-and-don't-be-sorry anthem.

In "Elle Me Dit," the narrator's mother repeatedly pesters him about his life choices and sexual orientation, asking questions like, "Pourquoi tu gâches ta vie?" ("Why are you wasting your life?") and "T’es défoncé ou t’es gay?" ("Are you high or are you gay?") This pattern continues throughout the song, but the narrator seems to let them slide off him as he continues dancing.

For those of us who have been faced with resistance from our families or loved ones about our identities, preferences, or life choices, a song like this can be a powerful balm to the hurt that these comments cause. It is a reminder to keep going, because "c’est ta vie"—it's your life—and you should just continue to "danse, danse, danse."

2. "Least Complicated," Indigo Girls

It might be cliché to add the Indigo Girls to a Pride playlist, but nonetheless, they occupy a prominent position on mine. I have felt drawn to and connected with the Indigo Girls for years. They even attended the same college as me: Emory University in Atlanta.

This is a great song for a longer run, after you've settled into a pace and aren't worried about getting your heart rate up anymore. I find that if I listen to overly fast songs for too much of my run, I wear myself out. It's nice to have upbeat but not over-the-top songs for these occasions.

This song is about the rules and formulas we are taught, and how, for the most important things in life, these rules don't really apply. The frustration of having to follow a certain kind of pattern is eased with the realization in the chorus: "What makes me think I could start clean slated / The hardest to learn was the least complicated."

We just are who we are. It's the least complicated thing, even if it seems to go against all the expectations.

3. "Frequency," Sylvan Esso

This song isn't specifically about Pride or LGBTQIA+ identity; on a literal level, the lyrics express a story about a young girl in the country climbing a tree in order to hear a radio program.

On a deeper level, though, this lilting song reads like a tale of love between women—the narrator expresses her adoration for this invisible female host in the chorus: "Her voice comin' through my dial/She's the one, I swear to God." Especially in the wake of singer Amelia Meath coming out as bisexual in 2020, this song speaks to me as a story of a young woman discovering her sexuality through the airwaves—and because of this, it hits home.

It reminds me of my own adolescence, that terrifying and exciting period of discovery. It also makes me feel drawn both to the narrator and to the story. It's a slower song for a run, I know, but it's still one of my favorites—especially on relaxed evening jogs when I want to hear Meath's soothing voice "comin' through my dial," reminding me that I am valid.

4. "We Are Golden," Mika

Really? Another Mika song?

Yes. Another Mika song.

I don't have much to say about this one. Want to feel happy to be alive? Want to feel like you can be yourself? Want to feel affirmed, accepted, and jumping for joy in your own skin? Listen to "We Are Golden" and power up a hill. Feel that oxygen coursing through your lugs. Feel that air on your limbs. We're alive. We're golden.

5. "I Want to Break Free," Queen

It doesn't get more cliché than Queen, I know. But honestly, who couldn't use a few bumpin' cliché queer anthems in their life?

"I Want To Break Free" propels me through the rough patches on a run and in life. Hot day? Click that play button. Massive uphill? Let it roar. Tired of being stuck in a rut? Play it loud and break through whatever is holding you back.

Queen never fails to make me happy.

6. "Born This Way," Lady Gaga

I mean. I had to.

Lady Gaga is my go-to when I'm struggling at the end of a run. She picks me up when I don't think I can make another mile, or when I just want to stop and sit down. There's something so catchy about every single one of her songs, and I can always rely on one of them to save me from that mental rut.

There's a reason that "Born This Way" is perhaps the most classic modern Pride anthem. What a gift, a relief, and an affirmation to sing into the universe: "I was born this way." In a world that still, somehow, seems to think that sexual orientation and gender identity are choices, it is the truest manifestation of pride to reject such an idea and say: "Nope. I was born this way."

7. "Closer to Fine," Indigo Girls

I'm rounding out this playlist with the Indigo Girls' most famous song. I usually find myself listening to this one at the end of a run, but the desire to hear it pops up whenever I want to feel like I'm on the right track, or when I want to remember not to take myself too seriously.

There is something so reassuring about hearing the line "There's more than one answer to these questions." There are so many ways to exist, so many ways so love, so many ways to experience oneself. This multiplicity is celebrated in "Closer to Fine." I would argue that it is one of the best Pride songs, if not the greatest.

Whoever you are, wherever you are, no matter who you love or what your gender identity is, I hope these songs help you to feel affirmed, excited, and proud—whether you run or not.

Happy Pride!