I realize that this is the last weekend of Pride Month for the LGBTQ+ community. To be honest, I thought June was going to last longer than it did - I'm not sure how I came to fall under this assumption as June has always had 30 days in the total of my existence, so...
It felt like June flew by in a blink.
My way of celebrating Pride Month has typically consisted of me watching Angles in America and picking up a poetry book by one of my favorite LGBTQ+ poets. I'd also watch a bunch of YouTube videos about the history of LGBTQ+ people.
This year I didn't change my habits all that much with one exception. I went to my first Pride Festival.
I honestly never felt a strong desire to go to a Pride Festival or celebration. Between trying to understand my identity, avoidance of large crowds, and having to travel a long distance to even attend, I didn't feel like I was missing out on much.
I probably wouldn't have gone to the Festival this year, except that I stumbled upon the Pride Festival by accident. I didn't even know it was going on until the morning of. And as luck would have it, I was free that day to celebrate.
The experience started by me going to my local Farmer's Market. As I was about to turn into the parking lot, I saw someone putting up a little sign advertising the event. My curiosity peaked, I checked out the area that was being set up before buying my weekly groceries. In the span of about 10 seconds, I had made up my mind that I was going to return in an hour or so.
The festival was small compared to what I'd seen on TV for the ones in New York or DC. There was a stage area for a band and music, several dozen booths selling pins and T-shirts, face painting, and free giveaways. There was a huge "LOVE" pop-up with the "O" painted as a rainbow for photo-ops. Restaurants with outdoor seating were packed and had rainbow streamers everywhere. Snacks were available and the brewery was selling white t-shirts for a tie-dye experience along with their usual selection of beer, kombucha, and hops tea.
Free tiny flags were given to anyone who asked. I got one and it now lives on my balcony in the banana pepper plant's pot.
I arrived in time to catch part of the drag queen show. It was a lot of fun and everyone was dancing. Groups of teenagers wearing Pride flag capes hung out on the edges of the crowd, talking and laughing. Families with kids wove between booths. Dads wore rainbow tutus to match their kids and there were a few people in kilts.
I was quickly drawn to the booth selling books. It had an array of LGBTQ+ books: romances, fantasies, essays, and poems. Some of the books had been on my wish list and I quickly grabbed them. I also grabbed a book of essays about being LGBTQ+ while growing up in the deep south. I haven't started any of them yet and my "too read" pile is ever growing, but I know I'll get to them sooner rather than later.
Afterwards, I mostly sat and enjoyed the atmosphere. It was supposed to storm in the afternoon (and did start raining on my walk home), so I didn't stay too long.
Overall my first experience was great. Most people still had masks, but since I've been vaccinated, I've felt a lot safer going out in crowds. I loved how natural it all felt - no one needed to put on an act, we could all be ourselves.
I'll likely try to attend other Pride festivals in the coming years - though I don't know if I can handle some of the bigger ones.
The ability to openly celebrate being LGBTQ+ is a special privilege. Not even a decade ago, gay marriage wasn't legal. It wasn't until 1962 that gay sex began to be decriminalized in the United States. It took until 2009 to have anti-discrimination laws in place for the LGBTQ+ community.
The history of LGBTQ+ people is also constantly being overlooked or erased. LGBTQ+ people didn't just show up out of now where in the mid-20th century. We've always been a part of the human condition.
Things still aren't ideal and are very far from perfect. There's a lot of open hostility against the transgender community - especially for Black transgender women. There are still plenty of countries that will jail or even execute someone for being LGBTQ+. Being open in America is still a risk, but at least many of us can be open.
But I'm hopeful.
The two generations of LGBTQ+ people before mine were devastated by the AIDs epidemic, but they built the stage that my generation was allowed to dance on. I believe that the next generation will make it go viral.
Happy Pride Month.
Now, I'm going to finish watching Angles in America.
Until next week.
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