It is here! June is the traditional Pride month in North America, so it was nice to see Dr. Trina Read’s piece in Huffington Post about the annual celebration of queer folks.
As a bi guy, I’ve been out and about to Pride events around Southern Ontario for almost 20 years. I’ve been crowded with the masses at Toronto’s Pride (arguably the 2nd biggest in the world) and I’ve sat in the grass with a handful of people in small towns. It is in those small towns that you see the real need for Pride parades.
Sure, I go to the Toronto event (I lived blocks away!), but I usually spend my time at the Block-o-rama stage, the Alternaqueer stage or the literary events. In other words, I still feel I belong among the outcasts. I’m a queer man with a female partner and two kids. I usually look pretty punky. Which might also explain why I very much enjoy the small, affirming Pride events I’ve attended.
They’re still searching for acceptance in the world, and in ways, so am I.
