What Pride Means To Me

Pride is more than a celebration, but a way of life.

Today

In Canada's largest city

Toronto

The rainbow flag is

Being raised at city hall.

And yet

The openly homophobic mayor

Will be no where near

Any Pride events.

But Pride is

More than concerts

Parties and parades

Celebrating the LGBT community.

For me

Pride conveys

So much more

On a personal level

And experienced daily.

Of the journey

Where self-discovery

And acceptance

By myself and others

Are paramount

To my very being.

Where I can emerge

From the darkest closet

And live my life

In openness.

Without

The constant fear

That I will be beaten up

For being myself.

Learning to handle

Those homophobic

And transphobic slurs

Hurdled at me

By the drive-by bigots.

Putting them

In their proper place

With dignity and honour

By walking away

Without a response.

As I grow

More confident

With each new stride

I take.

Reviews

[TL Boehm]

I've never understood why people have to pick on other people that they don't agree with. No one should have to tolerate drive by harassment. I've never wanted to go be nasty to someone simply because he or she was different than I was. Sometimes I've been curious and other times I've been 'scared' of people but if I am - I just leave. I don't shoot off at the mouth or try to cause them harm
Did you go this year? I know that there is a celebration held every year in Alb I believe - usually its pretty much without incident. The western US seems to have more of a mix of people groups than say the far north. Not sure why.

[therisa]

Today is the official start to Pride Week, in the city of Toronto. About a million people are expected to take part in various events. For myself, I will watch for the distance, as I don't feel comfortable in large crowds, like this. Marking the 33rd year for the Pride parade, here. You'll find a wide range of people attending it, and no one gets killed, during this week of celebrations. The politicians loved to be seen in the parade, with Gay, Lesbian, Trans and Bisexual marchers. Only time that you can legally shot a police office with a water gun and not be charged with assault.

As for the bigots, I think their courage is, of the liquid variety, mostly like beer or liquor. It's a right of passage, in the Village.