Pride Month
You Have Been More Than A Friend
From the days of braiding hair and painting nails, laying under the stars and talking about our Prince Charming. Those are the memories I will cherish for the rest of my life.
Cathy DeslippePublished 3 years ago in PrideBangers for Pride
Here's my cute little playlist of songs that I will be listening to during this Pride and probably every Pride going forward.
Walter DixonPublished 3 years ago in PrideShe-Ra and the Princesses of Queer
My whole life I have been so sure of one thing: I am straight. So much so that I knew that if I were a guy I would be gay. There’s not a lot in this world that you can be so sure of, but I knew that the one thing that I could always count on was my identity and sexuality. For sure, an accolade for being two of the biggest contributing factors to my two-dimensional world goes to both the very traditional life I have been brought up in and the unaccepting representation of the queer community in films, tv shows and books that I divulged in when I was growing up. I had always felt that when the world was coming to accept the LGBTQIA+ community the media wanted to be a part of that world but in so many cases the writing of queer characters were so clumsily done it reeked of ‘we need to fit some form of queer into this so that we aren’t seen as prejudice’. In almost every teen drama there was a background gay couple – commonly the comedic duo – and their clumsily written presence and overly advertised queer appearance made way for so much on-screen sexual chemistry that there left no room for genuine character development and in turn love for the characters, their journeys and their representation. It was also frequently an unrealistic portrayal for the vast majority of the community they tried to represent, especially when they conformed to the well-rehearsed stereotypes.
Megan KingsburyPublished 3 years ago in PrideSynesthesia
Romance has always been my favorite genre. As far back as I can remember, I’ve lived for the sappy clichés: flowers, chocolates, tearful confessions in the pouring rain, all of it. In elementary school, I would spend hours choosing baby names for my future adopted children (I always insisted they would be adopted. The idea of anything else made me uncomfortable) and scouring the Internet for dresses, rings, and décor. As much as I prepared names and future houses to share with my spouse, I always stopped short when I reached the idea of a husband.
Lia MercadoPublished 3 years ago in PrideTo the stage.
I was thirteen when I realised something was different. As I stood at the side of the dance floor at the school disco, bottle of pop in hand - I had what I would now describe as an anxiety attack. All I knew at the time was a sudden surge of nausea accompanied by an overwhelming feeling of impending doom, because I couldn’t stop looking at the girls.
NippyFan
Back in the day, I’d party in NYC. I wasn’t gay, per se, or aware of my potential to “play for the same team.” But I most certainly partied my ass off in gay clubs. I’d even recruit friends to come with me, who had zero “tendencies” and just couldn’t understand for a second, how I did. I recently told one of my friends, “I can say what I prefer because I’ve tried both. So you might be, but don’t know it, because you haven’t tried it”. She’s been one of my besties since High School and I can honestly say, her picture should be featured under the definition of “hetereosexuality”. She’s not judgmental or funny style about it, just not about it. But, she would sometimes grace me with her partying presence and when the last song at the blackest, gayest lesbian club in New York City would drop, she’d hit that dance floor hard. A lot of my friends would just come with me because “damn, it’s fun to just dance my ass off and not worry about some guy humping on me.” My friend screamed this in the middle of the dance floor, surrounded by women who surely would’ve taken her home that night, but respected her space and fun. So we all just danced. That last song that made wallflowers slide to the dance floor and bloom, was “I was born this way” by Carl Bean. Carl Bean is now an ArchBishop. And that’s levels. This is a remake, but this is the version that brought down the house every club night. Nanny’s is long gone, but I still have that anthem song in my vinyl collection.
Dayna ClarkPublished 3 years ago in PrideSydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
Sydney (Australia) Mardi Gras by Mike Friganiotis Normally held each year, the Sydney gay and lesbian Mardi Gras is a cacophony of costume, colour and courage. But it didn’t happen in 2020, when COVID-19 put a stop to all public celebrations. My home town knows how to party, and fortunately for everyone, Australia’s strong approach to dealing with COVID-19 has meant that in 2021 things were back to normal…well, nearly!
Michael FriganiotisPublished 3 years ago in PrideDriving with Pride!
I worked as a Lyft Driver for 3 years. My first year I marched with Lyft in the Pride Parade and met all kinds of fabulous along the entire route then spent the rest of the day giving rides to people heading to the Pride Festival. It was one of my most memorable days ever. The day passed in a blur of color and singing and love. The most fun moment was taking a young man to a local bar to meet his friends who were waiting there with signs and balloons and flowers to celebrate his Coming Out and his 21st birthday. The most poignant moment was driving a woman past her sister who was standing with protesters at the entrance holding a sign that read, "Jesus Hates You". We had a long wait to get to the drop off point so I handed her tissues, held her hand for a minute and let her sit in the car long enough to fix her make up. I wish I could have done more.
Sonya JosephPublished 3 years ago in PrideSweet Freedom
1975 was the year I turned 15, and this song was the one that really brought it home to me--some people made difficult choices. Choices that meant conformity, not happiness. Choices that meant hiding under a bushel instead of letting their true light shine.
Paula ShabloPublished 3 years ago in PrideYou are the Love that's missing
I know this is all about pride, and I am proud to understand and be happy for all the love that the world can have. I am not a part of the problem because I had great songs that made me grow with another way of understanding love.
Sofia DuartePublished 3 years ago in PrideBeing Nonbinary in a corporate office.
Being nonbinary and working for my city is definitely...interesting. Have I faced any real discrimination? No. Am I not fully out in an office of people who don’t quite understand what I’m “all about”? Oh yeah.
Sam PoulinPublished 3 years ago in PrideHope - Love - Unity
Everyone deserves the right to choose their own path in this life without fear. Love comes from the heart; Love knows no color. Love does not differentiate between gender. Love is the purest and most veracious emotion that we can share.
Rebecca Lynn IveyPublished 3 years ago in Pride