Monday, June 18, 2012

What the hell do gay people have to be proud of?

We’re proud because despite relentless persecution everywhere we turn—when organized religion viciously attacks and censures and vilifies us in the name of selective morality, when our families disown us, when our elected officials bargain away our equality for hate votes, when entire states codify our families into second-class citizenship, when our employers fire us, when our landlords evict us, when our police harass us, when our neighbors and colleagues and fellow citizens openly insult and condemn and mock and berate and even beat and kill us—we continue to survive.

We’re proud because pride is the opposite of shame—and despite what the Christian hate industry works so hard to make the world believe, there is nothing shameful about being gay. We’re proud because—thanks to the incredible bravery shown by gay people who lived their lives openly in the decades before us—we can live our lives more and more openly at home, at work, with our families, on our blogs … and even on national television.

We’re proud because we’re slowly achieving marriage equality state by state. And even though the change is happening at a glacial pace, we’re still making it happen. Even our president is behind us now.

We’re proud because through our tireless work and the prevailing powers of common sense and compassion, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is gone and Proposition Hate and the so-called Defense of Marriage Act are slowly collapsing in on their illogical, immoral, meritless foundations.

We’re proud because we are smart enough to overcome the self-loathing that our increasingly venomous, mindlessly theocratic society forces on us, and we have the power to stop its destructive cycle by fighting back and by making intelligent choices involving sex and drugs and money and relationships and the way we live our lives.

We’re proud because after all we’ve been through, the world is starting to notice and respect us and emulate the often fabulous culture we’ve assembled from the common struggles and glorious diversity of our disparate lives.

We’re proud because this month we’re celebrating with drag queens, leather queens, muscle queens, attitude queens and you’d-never-know-they-were-queens queens, and together we can see through the “pride” in our parade and enjoy the underlying Pride in our parade.

Quite simply, we’re proud that we have so much to be proud of.

8 comments:

C. P. said...

Yes you do, Jake.

Moose said...

and I'm fucking proud to have you on our team.
keep that flag flying, boo.

Little Kiwi said...

AMEN BROTHER!!

Birdie said...

I'm coming to Chicago tomorrow to witness and celebrate the wedding on Saturday of two transmen, one of whom I watched grow up. I had hoped to see Chicago Pride, but I have to be home Saturday night. I was really bummed to realize that the parade wasn't on Saturday. While I've been in a Pride parade twice (with PFLAG), I've yet to see one! Maybe next year.

Stand tall and proud, sweetie, and celebrate your whole self. Lead the way for those who don't yet understand.

Will said...

Beautifully put. And now we have to hold fast and make sure we don't lose this election. I have seen comments from well-placed Republicans to the effect that they have to win this one or they're in trouble for the foreseeable future in achieving their various nefarious goals -- ie. November 2012 may well be the tipping point and we need to come out of the election on top.

Shawn said...

And because some people look really good in a bikini on top a float.

Anonymous said...

AND ... we have you to celebrate for shaking your hot, scantily clad ass in the Pride Parade! Nice red briefs!

Brownstone Guy said...

Actually YOU are reason enough to make a gay man proud.