Posted by Anthony
I was 16 or 17 when I went to my first pride event. Part of Boston’s pride celebrations include a youth pride march. It was the late 1990s and I was still learning about the political and cultural side of my sexual identity. I didn’t know much except that pride was something that happened every June. I guess I assumed that it was much nicer to have a parade in June than in the middle of a New England winter.
I’ve been to a pride celebration almost every summer since then. Along the way, I learned the history of pride marches and celebrations in the US and around the world. I learned about how they were originally marches for equal rights and a commemoration of the Stonewall Riots of June 1969 in New York City. I’ve come to understand that although pride celebrations in North America are often very celebratory in the 21st century, there are still a lot of pride marches around the world that are fighting for equal rights.
My personal experience of pride has changed over the years. It has always been very celebratory for me, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve gained a deeper appreciation for the diversity of people and organizations that participate. And I’ve started to notice the number of families at pride too. So many different kinds of families!
We were able to chat with some other same-sex parents at the pride festival today on the waterfront. It’s exciting to think about bringing our own children to pride celebrations as they grow up. Not only will it be an opportunity to enjoy a parade of so many different hues of the rainbow of humanity, but it will also be an opportunity to teach our children about the history of the fight for equal rights. It’s humbling for us to think back on everyone who has fought for the freedom for us to live our lives as we choose. Without them, we might not even have the option to become fathers.
Thank you to everyone who has fought and who continues to fight for equality and social justice. Happy Pride
Header image: "Rainbow flag and blue skies" by Ludovic Bertron from New York City, USA. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.