Pride is Healthy. Pride is Love

It has been a while since I last posted (I know, I am not the best at this whole blogging thing), but as Capital Pride was this past weekend I thought when better to blog than after gay Christmas!

Pride is a celebration of the LGBTQ community, gay culture and really a recognition of how far we have come and how far we still have to go. A couple weeks ago in a lead up to to Pride, Rainbow Response hosted an event at Annie's Steakhouse. It was part fundraiser and part volunteer cultivation. We titled the event "Pride is Healthy. Pride is Love." One of the things that I do with Rainbow Response frequently is talk about the importance of healthy relationships, open communication and yes intimate partner violence. I have always spoken highly of the work that we have been able to accomplish with minimal resources and of the volunteers and leadership who have worked tirelessly on this issue. Talking about intimate partner violence is not easy and it is still even a challenging conversation within the straight community, let alone the gay community.

And really "Pride is Healthy. Pride is Love" is a great message for all of Pride season too. A lot has happened this year, we've seen a lot successes and some failures - but as a whole I am ever so proud to be part of a community that has been able to harness such strength and determination to overcome so many obstacles and through it all never lost sight of love. For a moment, during Pride weekend, I like to pause to think about all those who have come before us, who have struggled, who fought to make their lives and the lives of the community better through the face of violence and AIDS. This year's theme for Capital Pride was "Unleash the Superhero in You," and how fitting of a theme indeed. Not only in relation to the people I work with at Rainbow Response who I consider heroes, but really for all the people I know who are working everyday to advance progress.

So for the weekend, we celebrate. We celebrate how far we have come, how resilient our community is and we come together to shed society's judgments and love the life we are living. The weekend was full of events, music, drinking, laughter, dancing - you name it! There was a superhero themed party - that yours truly attended (and yes worked a little) as an otter superhero - a parade and a festival. For me though, what I enjoy most about Pride is being able to celebrate the heroes I get to share my life with everyday. It is a time for friends new and old to get together and have a weekend of fun. I was able to celebrate a fellow otter's birthday (yes Nick, I am talking about you!), listen to performances from Icona Pop and Emeli Sandé - I laughed, I danced, I sang, shared hugs and smiles and yes even got a little misty eyed (the PFLAG marchers nearly do me in every time!).

We are all heroes in our own story and I see it in my friends, in their daily lives and in the challenging curve balls life can throw us. So thank you to everyone who I shared Pride weekend with - you are all superheroes in my book! :)