Pride

June is Gay Pride month. No big deal, a very big deal depending with whom you speak. For some men and women who among the many attributes in their life happen to be Gay, Pride is just one more aspect of acceptance. For other men and women for whom being Gay seems to define them as different for their families and communities in which they live, Pride is a cause to celebrate because each and everyday is a struggle and feeling proud is a most difficult task. Pride is a word we all use, how we define it is of course subjective and can imply a myriad of meanings; Gay Pride follows the same rule. Many homosexual men and women scoff at the festivals and parades which accompany Pride celebrations insisting that just living your life, earning a living, raising a family, becoming a valuable member of society is enough of a commemoration. Many heterosexual men and women support Pride events because they have a son, daughter, brother sister or friend whom they love and want to see them shine. Some Gay and Lesbians anticipate with baited breath the opportunity to showcase, show off, show up for a weekend event in which they are the stars. Many heterosexual men and women wonder why the Gays need their own Pride events insisting that the straights don’t do that. There will be Gay Pride months until being Gay is no longer stigmatized, until being a minority in this country is no longer chastised, until self loathing and fear of others is diminished.

There will be Gay Pride until people like Peter LaBarbera of the Americans for Truth About Homosexuality(AFTAH) stop saying some eyebrow-raising claims about masculinity within the gay community, "Masculine men do not have sex with other men.” Or men like Tony Perkins: stop ranting, Christians forced to bake cakes for gays like forcing Jews into Nazi ovens. (Tony Perkins president of the Family Research Council, spoke Thursday with the attorney of a baker who lost his court battle to refuse service to LGBT customers who ordered cakes to celebrate their legal same-sex marriages. Or women like Pam Bondi stop being hypocritical "Florida's marriage laws, then, have a close, direct, and rational relationship to society's legitimate interest in increasing the likelihood that children will be born to and raised by the mothers and fathers who produced them in stable and enduring family units," Bondi's office said in court documents. Pam Bondi, Florida’s twice divorced Attorney General. Or political parties stop acting like douche bags, A draft of the Texas Republican Party's new platform embraces gay conversion therapy, arguing that it is a viable option for "patients who are seeking escape from the homosexual lifestyle.”

I happen to be a white, Jewish, employed, father, husband son, brother, uncle, friend Gay man. I define my masculinity by my actions. I love men as I wish and I share love with those around as I want. I am an American and as such I believe in freedom from religion, justice and equality for all and firmly believe in a divide between church and state. I have never cried foul when religious zealots hate, segregate, or deny, but scream bloody murder when in fact they presume their God was the first President of the United States. It is Gay Pride month and I am proud to celebrate my equality! Happy Pride!