the first pride was a riot
Identity is something we all have, whether we struggle to shape it or embrace it wholeheartedly, it is fundamentally what allows us to know ourselves and to commune with others. It is the one-word concept that drives so much of our daily and lifelong striving or contentment. Some of us search and grapple and others lean into the comfort of “knowing”.
My experience with identity continues to be a journey through what feels like a hike to the top of a mountain. Sometimes I find myself resting in familiar spaces, enjoying the company of others making their own trek. We trade stories and some helpful life-tips around the community campfire, learning from each other and finding comfort in knowing we’re not alone.
Other times I feel the harshness of the elements while I'm exposed in unfamiliar terrain, unable to find my way forward and with no shelter to retreat to. In these moments, there are many choices to determine the path forward. Tuning into our inner compass can help to guide our steps, clinging to who we know we are can bring us forward into the unknown. Trusting we’ve been through rocky mountainsides before can bolster our resolve to push through.
Otherwise we can retrace our steps back to familiar territory, choosing to stay on worn paths and follow the trail markers where others have ventured before. Even on these marked paths we will be challenged and may lose our way.
Whatever our direction onward, we are the feet in our boots, the only people best suited to move ourselves forward. Community can find us, encourage us, even support us if we’ve sprained our metaphorical ankle, but the more we know ourselves the better we will understand what path is most aligned with our destination.
This pride month, I am so grateful as I reflect on my life. My identity as a queer person is not the only thing that defines me, but it is something I have fought to embrace and make space for in my life. I have had mixed feelings about Pride and Pride month, I find joy in the celebration and community, yet I have a hard time participating in the commercialization and corporatization of it that tends to market to a narrow subset of people. Rainbow-washing, the practice companies use that is essentially slapping a rainbow on their products in order to signify alliance during 1 month of the year but not supporting equal rights and protection the rest of the year is one that prioritizes profit over people and takes focus and resources away from the community.
Pride started as a riot, a fight for our lives and our space in this world. Queer folks have been present through all of history, throughout all cultures and castes, and yet our current struggle is to reclaim our space as people worthy of experiencing the world in empowered, supported ways. Pride as we know it now in the US started with the most disenfranchised people, black trans women, and I am grateful for their work though I wish they did not have to do it. Yet Pride is important not only as a movement fighting for equality, it is crucial to celebrate all that it means to be LGBTQ+. We are a resilient, diverse, joyous, beautiful community that transcends race, language, ability and more. I believe it is a beautiful thing to see ourselves and recognize in others the creativity it takes to live in a world not built for us. While there is still so much inequity in the world, particularly for folks with fewer privileges, I believe it is important to take time and celebrate community and how far we have come. Happy Pride 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️