#PrideRocks

Why do we celebrate Pride? A month of endless parties, parades, festivals, and TONS of glitter must be just for fun, right? If only. While we do enjoy the celebrations of our LGBTQIA communities and allies, we have Pride month for us to display those hard earned rights, to continue the difficult fight for continuing rights, new rights, and most of all, equal rights. We celebrate our sexualities and fetishes while we reflect on the LGBTQIA rights movements that those before us have fought and those long after will continue to fight until we are all embraced for who we are. We are proud of who we are, whether our families have accepted us or not.

Pride is taking on the fight against discrimination and violence toward us and our LGBTQIA family, friends, lovers, etc. We want to demand visibility as a community of people who simply happen to not be straight. Baby, we let our freak flags fly their highest.

While it may seem we have come a long way (and we absolutely have), we still have a very long way to go.

Unfortunately, during the month we should be most full of pride, we are often reminded of the insurmountable attacks on our people, violence toward us, hate crimes that are still being committed daily, even more so during the times we are to be celebrated and enjoy celebrating ourselves.

One of the worst LGBTQIA attacks in history was the at the Upstairs Lounge, a gay bar in New Orleans, Louisiana on June 24, 1973 where 32 people were brutally murdered by a fire fueled by arson by a man with so much hate in his heart, he targeted the patrons of the bar just for simply living their lives. It took years for most victims to be identified, as their families were ashamed of them for being gay. Literally just days ago, one of the last 3 victims to be identified, finally was. Funerals and memorial services were scarce as churches refused to allow such a thing for a homosexual person.

These kind of attacks, attacks like the horror that stormed Orlando's Pulse nightclub, these are why we have Pride month, this is our time to shine, to be heard, to show up and stand up, and to create an awareness that we are who we are, we love who we love, we fuck who we want to and that is our business, that is up to us and our partners. As long as nobody is being hurt, all are consensual and legal, and everyone actually involved is happy and cared for, it is nobody else’s business and shall not be hated, discriminated against, or taken away from us.

Stay strong, be careful, if you see something, say it, and enjoy your Pride month, Sinners. I love you all dearly. I accept you all. I am available for a chat anytime if you need to reach out to feel validated and loved, accepted and cherished, or even just for a “Happy Pride” shout out. Get your pride on, keep loving! #PrideRocks