What is PRIDE?
Star City PRIDE is an event that happens each summer, but it is much more than that. I like to think of PRIDE as a family reunion, a movement and the GLBT Interdependence Celebration. We are a large and diverse community, but sometimes it can feel like you are one of the only gay people.
This summer will be my 3rd Star City PRIDE. I turn 40 in April, but I have only been to PRIDE 3 time (and ironically I have worked on it all 3 times). For the first 27 years of my life I was (or was trying to be) a "straight" person. Then I took that first HUGE step and came out to myself. Then I came out to a few friends. But I was a youth pastor in a denomination that had stated rules forbidding openly gay pastors from serving. So, for 10 years I served quietly from my pulpit in the closet. I was an advocate for GLBT rights, but had to keep a guarded distance. I would never have considered coming to PRIDE because it was too risky.
In 2007 as a result of a series of events I won't go into in this blog I left the church and felt this huge sense of relief. I could finally be out and honest about who I was... one of God's beloved lesbian daughters. I found a different job and found the love of my life. Her journey is her story to share, but I will say that the new sense of fully accepting ourselves and finding a person we could be "out" with has brought great happiness to both our lives.
Star City PRIDE is my chance to celebrate the freedom to finally be out and live my life without fear of losing my job. I get to see and socialize with friend (GLBT and straight) that come out for a huge party in honor of the equality and justice. I get to be part of the largest gathering of GLBT and ally members of the Lincoln and the surrounding communities. It is the one time each year where we show in force the diversity of our community and hopefully raise the awareness that "gay people are everywhere". And it is a time where I can see, by their presence, advertising and participation the businesses, organizations and individuals who support GLBT Pride.
I also see Star City PRIDE as a way for those of us in the community who might be a little more chronologically enhanced to build a legacy for those GLBT generations who follow. To help share a message that it is ok to be out and proud. And to help raise awareness in the broader community so their journey of coming out might involve less struggle and pain.
I am honored to be involved with the planning and hosting of this event and movement. I have watched it grow over the last 3 years and have great hopes for it's future.
What does PRIDE mean to you?
Comment
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Comment by Shoshana Sumrall on March 1, 2010 at 6:56pm -
Hi Karen,
I forgot to send a message to you with my friend request, but wanted to know if we could reprint your post in PFLAG's Spectrum newsletter. I think it would be a nice way to send an early reminder to our readers!
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Comment by Jeremy Powell on February 27, 2010 at 6:35pm - Thanks for sharing Karen. As a gay man who just came out in the last year....though my journey is vastly different (maybe i'll blog about it sometime), I read this and completely relate. I attended Star City PRIDE this past July and looking back it was very much a party and celebration of a community, and a personal one for myself as well. I look forward to this years PRIDE, and many moire after that :)
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Comment by Heath Harding on February 27, 2010 at 4:06pm -
Karen, thank you so much for sharing why Star City PRIDE matters to you! It is so important to share our personal stories.
Star City PRIDE matters to me because it is both my own personal celebration as well as a community celebration.
The first 'gay' party I went to after coming out was so important. After walking in an seeing 30-40 gay men at the party, my feelings of being alone melted away. My first pride was much the same. It was in KC and I saw hundreds of LGBTQA people everywhere! I feel the same way at Star City PRIDE! It is a time when I am so excited to see so many LGBTQA people (who may critique my clothes, but won't critique who I am) and know I am not alone.
I often think of the people who can't celebrate openly with us. We must celebrate for them as well!
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