Pride Month
Hello everyone!
Today is June 1st, the beginning of Pride Month.
I'm straight, but consider myself an ally, and wanted to explain why it's so important to me that Pride Month be acknowledged and celebrated.
The first time I was ever aware of same sex couples was during the summer between first and second grade. My parents were divorced, and I would spend six weeks of the summer with my mom. This particular summer, she lived in an apartment complex, and had made friends with a group of six men who also lived in the complex.
This complex had a pool and a hot tub, and since it was summer, a lot of time was spent outside at the pool and hot tub with my mom and these friends of hers.
I was young, so the men tried to keep it hidden from me, but it soon became clear to me that these six men were three couples. But here's the thing: once I realized it, it made total sense to me because of how kind and thoughtful they were to each other. It was obvious to even my young self how much these couples cared for each other, so, to me, it made sense: of *course* they were together. These men were really good examples for me of not just how to treat someone you love, but honestly just how to treat people in general: with respect and kindness.
I saw and spent time with those men almost every day of that six week stretch of time I was with my mom that summer. Then, the six weeks was up, I went back home.
Unfortunately, I never saw or spoke to any of those men again, but I've thought of them often throughout the years. I'm grateful that I met them - their kindness made a huge impression on me, and they weren't even trying to make an impression, they were just being themselves and living their lives.
Something that I didn't put together until *years* later, (I'm about to age myself here) was that I met these men during the early years of the AIDS epidemic. I bring this up because at this time, AIDS was thought of as a 'gay disease', and members of that community were being ostracized and treated terribly, but most horrifying, dyeing from a mysterious illness that wasn’t understood. I have no way of knowing how affected any of those men I'd met were by this, but knowing how affected the entire gay community was by it at that time, I can't imagine they were completely unscathed. I can't help but think of those men, and the kindness and grace they showed during what I can only imagine was a horrific, terrifying time for them.
I usually start Pride Month out by saying 'Love Is Love', and I'm still saying that, and believe it with all my heart. But this year 'Love Is Love' doesn't feel like enough. I think it's important to express support for every member of the LGBTQ+ community. Not just this month, but all. year. long.
Those six men never knew it, but they taught me so much about life and how to treat other people that summer, and I'll always appreciate that, and will never forget it - or them.
xoxo, April