What does Pride mean to you?

Two weeks ago, a group of my friends and I went to our very first LGBT pride parade in New York City. GAH! Exciting!!! Well, to be honest, we really didn't know what to expect. Decked out in our rainbow flags and our Duke Love=Love shirts, we were hoping for an amazing time. We were ready to be blown away by the supposed craziness.

If I had to sum up Pride in one word, I would definitely pick celebratory. I loved seeing members of our community so excited and happy to be exactly who they are. I think everyone should go to Pride at least once, if only to see that strong sense-of-self and happiness. It was very powerful to be a witness to that kind of self-confidence.

A quick note to my fellow Pride virgins reading this: cheer loudly. You’ll get more attention. My friend Cynthia and I started going pretty crazy about halfway through the march, and we were blessed with Mardi Gras beads in all colors of the rainbow, countless LGBT stickers (my favorite was “God made me a Lesbian”), a view of someone’s undergarments (well, you know), and one woman who was intent on drenching us with her super soaker. (Twice.)

I think the thing that surprised me the most about Pride was what got my attention. I really enjoyed watching SAGE, a LGBT advocacy group for elderly members of our community. (See picture, bottom right.) Some of these participants looked to be about 80 years old, and as they walked by, I wondered how different of an environment they had when they were coming out. Fifty years ago, could they have even fathomed the march we were having right now? Did they even have a name for some of the LGBT labels that are so commonplace today? (Was “queer” still derogatory?) What relationships and loves did they have in their lives-and did society let them flourish? Or did they have to lose them because they weren’t born in the time that we were? I had so many questions for them that I didn’t have the time to ask, so I just went crazy cheering for them and waved our rainbow flag until they smiled back.

I also found myself getting really excited to see all of the PFLAG groups at Pride. (PFLAG chapters were actually the most prevalent group at the parade!) One young man from PFLAG Long Island held a sign that said, “I’m walking for my two moms”, and another held a sign that said “We love our lesbian daughter”. Wow-I'm proud of them.

But if there is one thing about Pride that I will never forget, it was the people I shared it with. I have this great memory of standing on the side of 5^th avenue, watching parade floats and groups move past me, and then stopping to look to my left and right on the sidewalk. I see 7-8 of some of my closest friends at Duke, many of whom are not LGBT. In fact, most of these friends identify as straight. And yet, they are here. I am surrounded by people who support our community so much, that they drove all the way up to New York City (and took a hellish Chinatown bus back), just to say, “Yes, you should be proud!”

I think Pride will mean something different to everybody-there will be parts that speak to you, and parts that do not. We cannot relate to everything. But I think the universal feeling I received at Pride was acceptance. Acceptance for exactly who you are-LGBT or straight. So I guess that was the best thing about Pride. To see such a historically marginalized community be so loved, so supported, and of course, so proud. I saw our community on fire with pride that weekend, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen us in a better light.

[Note: I've heard a lot of different perspectives on Pride, and they're all entirely valid and worth bringing up! I'd love to hear your ideas about LGBT Pride and what it means to you.]