My Pride Month Essay

Every year, as we dive into Pride Month, I have to reflect on what, exactly, are we proud of? I can't say what everyone is proud of, but I can tell you a few things I am proud of.

I am proud of how far our community has come. Corporations market to us; our national organizations are participating in federal conversations at the white house; we are organizing ourselves more and more effectively to create a world where we are recognized as equal participants in society. There are more services for our communities and our youth. Still too few, but more than there were 20 or 30 years ago.

I am proud of all of us who have survived coming out. I came out a few times, in different ways, and it was heart wrenching to lose friends and family because my way of loving and being was too different for them to understand or accept. Every time each one of us does this, we humanize our community and our experiences. We are making profound changes in the world by living honestly. That is powerful, unstoppable, and absolutely something to be proud of.

I am proud of the ways in which we have eaten our words and backed up when we have made mistakes. I am sure we will have to do it again, but it means something that we are really stopping to recognize that queer doesn't just mean the most mainstream parts of our community. And that to connect to a broader representation of who we are, we need to start thinking about the inclusive nature of social justice. Organizations like the Task Force really lead the way with their focus on inclusion.

I am proud of the way we keep going, even when things are difficult. My favorite saying: fall down 6 times, get up 7, really applies to our community. So many of us have experienced incredible losses and defeats in this journey of change and hope. Activists who have worked for decades who are still working to make this world into something a little better for us all. In 1992, Hawaii was one of the first states to pass an anti-marriage act, inappropriately named DOMA. Now Iowa has marriage equality. The tide will roll in and we will get up as many times as we need to.

Come celebrate your pride at any one of the many events happening in Boulder and Denver this month. And tell me why you are proud.