What Does Pride Mean To You?
Page 3 of 3

For Brandon, being proud meant standing up for a worthy cause. To him, pride was more about celebrating our accomplishments and looking forward to where we want to be.

Jonathan was a little more introspective. "Pride means living life -- with all its obstacles and hardships and stereotypes -- and still have the ability to look in the mirror and tell yourself that you're still here. No matter who you love or what brand of clothing you use to define yourself, nothing can change you. You are you -- and if I can say that to myself, that's pride."

Matt's response perhaps best sums up the changing attitudes about pride. "[It's] a very important thing. No matter what aspect it is, you have to be proud of who you are. If they had an "American Mutt" Pride Month, or a "Brown Hair and Brown Eyes" Pride Month, I'd be out waving my flag. Gay Pride Month is no different. It's just another aspect of myself, a tiny portion of what makes me unique. A lot of people don't see the necessity of gay pride because it is either too out there (too queeny, too "gay", whatever), or it's not necessary because throwing a rainbow flag around doesn't accomplish anything. But being proud of who you are isn't necessarily about proactively accomplishing something. It's about letting the public know that you are happy with yourself and everything about you. But it's not really about other people -- I'm proud of who I am, regardless of how others feel. Unfortunately, I've become very much removed from a lot of the "traditional" gay pride. I no longer attend the meetings of the Pride Alliance at my college, nor do I participate in the Pride Parades. It's not that I'm no longer proud -- hell, I'm here and I'm queer, baby! It's much more about the fact that I'm at a point in my life where I'm trying to work on other aspects of myself. I've finally got the whole gay thing under control, now I need to worry about everything else. But don't worry! The rainbow flag won't get too dusty!"

Pride means different things to different people. The parades and festivals are still meaningful to many, while others prefer a more personal approach. Whatever it means to you, find a way to celebrate it!

© Josh Aterovis, All Rights Reserved. Josh Aterovis is the author of the Killian Kendall Mystery Series as well as numerous columns and articles. Article provided by GayLinkContent.com