For those of us in the United States, today is Memorial Day. But it’s also… Pride Eve! At the stroke of midnight, Gay Pride Month will officially commence!
Many of my straight friends and family are perplexed by the month. They often wonder, “Well why don’t we get a straight pride month?” The answer is simple: As it turns out, every month is straight pride month. And until straight boys are teased for being too jocky or masculine in schoolyards across the world, I suspect it will stay that way.
Even without their own official month, I think the straight people can get something out of pride, too. There is a universal message that runs just a bit deeper than foam parties, nipple rings and half (or full) naked bears. Pride, at its heart, is about celebrating your true you.
After all, life is too short to spend it being anyone else.
With our time on this planet so incredibly brief, would you really want to spend your precious life avoiding your true self? Probably not.
Author Wayne Dyer once wrote, “Live… Be You… Enjoy… Love.”
That is my mantra for this year’s pride. I will live this month – and all my months – to the fullest. I will be me, and not live the way others say that I must. I will relish and enjoy each moment, and not fixate on what has come before and what may come after. And I will love recklessly. I will open my heart with each breath that I take.
Live. Be You. Enjoy. Love.
Happy Pride!
P.S. In honor of Pride, I’ve added a rainbow flag at the very top of my blog for the month. Consider it a daily reminder to celebrate your true you!
May 31, 2010 at 8:16 am
its funny i remember last year being my first time going to pride and it was such a weird feeling! all these people who where happy to just be out and about it was such an amazing energy! im too excited this year to just be able to enjoy the time and just be in it!! Frisco pride here i come!! see ya there loves!!
May 31, 2010 at 10:07 am
I love the quote! Happy Gay Pride month, everyone!
May 31, 2010 at 10:34 am
‘I refuse to accept the idea that gays have it worse than the rest of society’.
Well coming from a small town in Northern Ireland I completely disagree. Perhaps where you grow up gays where bullied no less than the rest of the population for me not so much.
May 31, 2010 at 11:35 am
Dear Davey,
You Inspired me and I started blogging in Jan. I hope you will check it out. You rock my blog world.
Rick
May 31, 2010 at 1:22 pm
Well, if you’ve never felt persecuted or threatened because you are gay, then you’ve had it very easy. Your case is the exception, whereas most gay youth are demeaned on a daily basis in there neighborhoods. I have some friends that have been kicked out of their houses because their parents do not support or want to be affiliated with them because of their sexual orientation. Pride, especially GP parades/LGBT meetings etc, is an opportunity to have a safe place where you can gain social support from others, have others truly be able to empathize with what you’re going through, and establish a sort of fellowship and community.
I get that most people don’t want to affiliate with pride because they do not want to portray the aspects of homosexuality that have been deemed stereotypical and cliche by society. However, you don’t have to/need to be a flamer in order to express your sexual orientation. And for your “If I am only to be remembered as a gay man I rather not be remembered at all.” It seems to me that perhaps you are not totally at ease with your sexual orientation. Maybe you are still scared and have not yet FULLY embraced yourself and who you are, and the snide comments you have against pride are actually indications of jealousy of those who are fully comfortable with themselves.
In any case, even if pride is NOT for you, who are you to stand on YOUR soap box and judge those who actually get something out of it.
May 31, 2010 at 2:04 pm
May whoever you are, wherever you happen to be, you enjoy your memorial day, and enjoy the pride month of june.
May 31, 2010 at 4:28 pm
I agree with Davide on a lot of aspects. It did not sound like he was judging anyone nor being anti-homosexual. He was simply making his stand. Saying I don’t like pride, here’s why. You have failed to see what he is saying.
He is claiming to be more than a gay man. It’s like if Davey Wavey is only known for being gay. I love Davey’s philisophical and spiritual nature more than his sexuality. Famous straight people aren’t remembered for being straight. There is more to each individual.
I am all for those who shout their pride from the rooftop. I wouldn’t mind attending a pride event but it is not on my “to-do” list.
And so many kids do get picked on in school not just gays. Smart kids, artisitic kids and sadly, kids with dissabilities are picked on day after day. We should use such a month as June and make it a month in where we teach tolerance not only to our fellow adults but also to our children.
May 31, 2010 at 5:15 pm
when the president says you can’t get married, openly adopt, or serve in the military, when most countries in the world and most of your own country says you are unwelcomed,when most religions think you are sinning simply for existing and many countries think you should be stoned to death, its easy to lose your sense of self worth. this is why i celebrate pride, nuf said
June 1, 2010 at 12:48 am
Having a month to celebrate one group or another creates more division than unity. It proliferates the notion of us vs. them: gay vs. straight; black vs. white; Catholic vs. Protestant; etc. If we shout “We’re here, we’re queer…” we focus solely on what separates us from the norm. If we want to gain acceptance and tolerance I believe it behooves us to promote that and to focus on what we all have in common; notably our humanity, our desires for happiness and fulfillment (however those things occur to us) and that we share this awe-inspiring planet of ours. As Davide points out there are far more people than just gays who are persecuted in this world. If you don’t see it you are no different than those who don’t see (or refuse to see) how the world treats gays. And why promote something for one month out of the year? If you’re working against something – even something like prejudice – you will encounter resistance and your actions will only be tolerated so much. That’s why. And veil it in the guise of ‘pride’ as much as you try, the point of it all is to be very much in the face of people who won’t accept gays.
Were we to put all our efforts into working FOR unity, peace, harmony and acceptance we would have little time to do anything else AND we would also attract far less criticism, hatred, etc. from those who are afraid of gays (or any other group). Who is going to denounce a rally on human unity and love? Fred Phelps maybe but not may others. Who would openly declare “I don’t want humans to join together in love and peace!” If we create a structure for peace and unity in the world we will have created something great. Sure the hatred will still exist but it will collapse under the weight of its own ignorance when people see how well our structure for unity works. Whereas when you work only to tear down hatred you’ve built nothing of substance to replace the current framework. You are left with a wasteland and a monumental effort of rebuilding after the ‘battle’.
Mother Teresa of Calcutta was famously invited to give a keynote address to an anti-war rally in New York City. She declined. When the people asked her why she would decline she told them something to the effect of “What you resist persists. I will not speak against war. Hold a rally for peace and I will be there.” Why resist the hatred? Embrace and promote the love. It will serve us all better in the long run.
June 1, 2010 at 3:58 pm
oh yay! so excited for this month! Go Davey! Though i wish it was more celebrated. Luv you all!
June 3, 2010 at 5:26 pm
im always excited by gay pride month-everywhere-anywhere-on the planet.we celebrate it-because we can.