Media Room

Reflection on Pride Month

This ends a month of reflection, rethinking and celebration.

Refection on a moment that awakens us to the still darkness that lingers throughout society and the war on identity and personal freedom.
Rethinking the decisions and choices that we make about the people we invite into our lives and the answers to the questions that surrounds our safety and liberty.

But a celebration nonetheless, of bravery and authenticity.

This month might have been particularly difficult for many friends, coworkers and family members that may have lost love ones and its especially hard to celebrate in such difficult times but that’s the thing about pride, we celebrate to be stronger and not to succumb to the ills of everyday life that intends otherwise.

This month may have brought us back to a 1960s raid on a gay bar in New York City, or a reminder of the laws that states that we can’t donate blood to save our own lives or even that our family may not be our family even in death because we are gay.

Regardless, the end of Pride Month is the beginning of all things that we hope to come… laws that protects instead of demeans, education that enlightens and greater tolerance in our schools, workplaces and even our bathrooms.

I choose to believe that the opportunity to celebrate Pride is in itself is an achievement and a symbol of freedom that is sadly only present in very few societies. In other places – in other countries – liberty is diminished to mere dreams and hopes and the fight for justice is more disoriented.

…But an exit from another month of Pride is an entrance into an even better year and hearing news that the pentagon has finally lifted the ban on openly serving transgender troops is a good start.