Skip to main content

Why Pride?


The latest CU Pride Fest will occur this weekend, September 15th - 17th, in downtown Champaign. Undertaken by the UP Center of Champaign County, along with countless volunteers, Pride Fest is a celebration of the LGBTQ identity. As we approach this year's event, it hit home, more than ever this year for some reason, how important occasions such as this are.

First, one might wonder why there is pride in something like sexual orientation, or gender fluidity, especially when it has been argued that people are born this way? Why, indeed. For some, that question will never have an adequate answer. For those more open-minded and empathetic, they can understand that pride comes from the condition of having been a marginalized minority.

Being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender has often come with a stigma attached. And that's putting it mildly. Bullying, harassment, mental and emotional damage, legal inequality, and even death have been part & parcel with one being open about who they are. And so being open and honest about oneself takes courage, as there can be so many potential pitfalls that come with it. That is where much of the pride comes from. Not only are you simply being who you are, but being who you are comes with risks. It's saying that you think enough of yourself that you are willing to stand up and be counted.

Besides, if people can take pride in being, say, the fan of a sports team -- which I see all the time -- then surely folks can be proud of their sexuality? People are proud of a lot of things. LGBTQ people shouldn't have to defend pride in their sexuality.

But haven't things gotten better over the years? Gay people can get married now right? I hear those questions sometimes, and read them all too often online, and while there are rings of truth to them (advancements have definitely been made, look no further than the great corporate and local sponsors for CU's Pride Fest), we still have a long way to go. Gays, lesbians, and transgender persons are still threatened verbally, physically assaulted, and murdered simply because of who they are, and all sorts of other discrimination. Lack of understanding of bisexuality is still a thing for a lot of people. The list goes on. So, yes, progress has been made, but there's still a lot out there.

It is heartening, however, to live in a community that is so loving and accepting. We have our detractors, certainly, but if this weekend is good for anything, it is a reminder of how much support there is for the LGBTQ community here in C-U. I hope it helps those in the closet, or who are out but facing scrutiny, or who feel isolated and alone. I know what that's like, and it isn't a good place to be. That's why I am appreciative of the friends, colleagues and family who are loving and supportive, and who will be participating in CU Pride Fest events this year.

We may have some ways yet to go, but we've definitely come so far. Weekends like CU Pride Fest prove that, and the resulting kindness, love and togetherness helps things immeasurably.


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Yesterday's Restaurants

The local newspaper has a feature from one of Champaign-Urbana's most legendary restaurateur's, John Katsinas, on what his favorite area restaurants were that have now since closed (or will soon be closing).  It's a nice little read, and has made me stop and think about the restaurants that have come and gone that have left an indelible (and edible) impression on me throughout the years. Here we go....
Post a Comment
Read more

Watching The Hours

A Twitter friend named Paula has asked for folks to submit ideas for a blog-a-thon about what we think will be the classic films of the future. In other words, what relatively recent movies (namely, from the 21st century), do we think will be considered classics in the decades to come, possibly airing on such venerable stations as Turner Classic Movies ? While a number of films come to mind for such a category, one in particular stood out from the rest, and thus is my entry for Paula's blog-a-thon.
5 comments
Read more

She's Madonna

Today we're going to talk about something very important. We're going to talk about Madonna. "Madge," as she's affectionately known around the gay scene, has been making music for over thirty years. I grew up with her songs, many of them pop classics. In recent years, it can be arguably said that her popularity has waned a bit. During the past decade, Madonna has put out seventeen singles. Of those, three have charted in the US Top 40. Ten Failed to chart at all on the Billboard Hot 100. We now have at least one possibility offered as to why Madge's chart power is waning: Ageism. At least, that's what Diplo (just, Diplo), a producer of some of the tracks off her latest album, thinks . I know it's difficult to be objective about something you've worked on -- whether you were the producer or the artist -- but, as a listener/fan, I have to say that Madonna's most recent work has simply not been that good. Still, we'll hear what ...
Post a Comment
Read more