Pride Festival in Apex

I was pleasantly surprised when the N&O listed 40 events for Pride Month in the Triangle. The list not only included Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, but also several surrounding suburbs. That doesn’t include the big parade that will be held in Durham in September or the film festival in August. In the past year, Wake County passed a model non-discrimination ordinance that has been used by several communities. Of course, we’re an urban area with a lot of out-of-state transplants, but we still rank as one of the more progressive areas in the state.

Those events don’t quite equal the number of transphobic laws that have been passed by southern state legislatures during the past year. It seems like the LGBTQ+ community takes one step forward and two steps back. We still don’t have any federal non-discrimination legislation. Some on the radical right already are questioning same-sex marriage and LGBTQ+ serving in the military. The GOP continues to pursue a homophobic strategy in appealing to their right-wing base.

We have Equality NC in North Carolina and similar advocacy groups in other states and nationally. We even have LGBTQ+ folks serving in political positions all the way from city council to Congressional representatives in numerous states. We are far better represented than we have been in the past.

We still are a minority of the population and dependent upon our allies for support. Perhaps our strongest supporters are young people (18-34) who just don’t see us as an issue for social debate. After the desperate decade of AIDS in the 80’s, the current era seems relatively calm except for the lunatic fringe on the right. Our enemies still have economic clout, and they’re not afraid to use it against us.

After centuries in which African-Americans were portrayed as an inferior race, Black Power is a step in the direction to re-establish a sense of pride and self-worth. The same emotional needs apply to us after so long a time of hate and demagoguery. For much of my life I felt unworthy, and certainly not worthy of being called a Christian.

So why do we have to “flaunt it” publicly with parades and wild costumes? Because we need some joy and celebration in our lives to offset the persecution we still face.

HAPPY GAY PRIDE!

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