In the year 2021 due to COVID-19, there are no in-person parades or celebrations during Pride Week, but we still wanted to take some time as a team to recognize its importance.
The team took some time this week to cross the Pride walkway in downtown Milton and chat about what this month means to everyone. We laughed and joked around like we always do, we celebrated the progress that’s been made, and recognized the work that still needs to be done.
This is a guest post by team member Dwayne O’Sullivan. As I read it, I was struck by how I’ve never had to think about holding my spouse’s hand in public. Let’s work to create a world where Dwayne doesn’t either.
As we celebrate Pride and my 20th year anniversary of being out and proud of who I always was, I am contemplating what pride means to me.
Pride is being loved and accepted for who we are (and who I am) no matter who you love. I can now say that I truly love myself and what I have become. It has been a long journey of growth and acceptance.
I was lucky to have the family that I did when I came out, as I was loved for who I was — no matter what.
In my head, I imagined so many ways it could have gone bad, but I was one of the lucky ones. Not all people have the same experiences as I did. Some are thrown out, assaulted, disowned, and degraded.
Pride is about equality and and acceptance of everyone, no matter what their differences are. Just as the Pride flag has evolved to include more people, we as human beings should be doing the same.
We love just as everyone else does.
I shouldn’t have to think twice about holding my husband’s hand while walking down the street, worrying about getting flack or confrontation for showing affection to the love of my life for 15 years.
We celebrate Pride every single day, not just on a certain day or a certain month. We celebrate when we come home from a long day and say “I love you” to our partners. We celebrate when we make dinner and talk about our day, or when we just sit in blissful silence.
To me, Pride Month is a time of celebration for all we have accomplished. It is about the beginning, the middle, and the end of the fight for equality and acceptance for who we are.
The first Pride celebration was a riot, and now it’s being celebrated almost everywhere in the world… with more places being added every year.
It is not just about us, it is about EVERYONE coming together to celebrate equality and acceptance.
Have a happy and safe Pride everyone!
