Why Pride?

"If you want to be treated like everyone else, why do you spend so much time pointing out how different you are?" 

I hate that question.  I don't celebrate pride to be "different", no more than someone celebrates Christmas or Eid to be different.  It's just part of who I am, it is a very important part of my selfness.  It's part of my history, of our history, of our struggles and our triumphs.  So yes, I celebrate pride with excitement and fondness.

And it's not about being different, it's about remembering history and celebrating what makes me, well, me.  I celebrate pride because it's a place where I know, no questions asked, I will be accepted.  I celebrate pride because I know every year, when I walk down to the festival there will be at least one person who realizes that life is okay right now because there are thousands of people just like me hanging out together.  I celebrate pride because I know that I will have a blast and meet new people who only accept instead of judge.  It's nice to be accepted, to be welcome, no questions asked. 

So why pride?  Because my whole life I have been rejected for who I am, nothing more.  At Pride, I am not rejected, I am embraced and celebrated.  So yes, June is all about Pride for me.  I attend festivals, I wish others "Happy Pride", I embrace who I am in ways I don't other times of the year. 

Pride is a celebration, and I'm gonna celebrate.

Until Next Time!