What Pride Means To Me

What Pride Means To Me

letter from jessica drake

Happy Pride Month!

As we dive into a Summer of the world continuing to open up again, we can expect to see bigger Pride celebrations than ever before, with people making up for lost time and realizing the value of connection and community.

For me, Pride has been a place where I felt a feeling of coming home. A place where I could be comfortable being me as I am, and not be judged. I never got that growing up. Being from East Texas, raised Jehovah’s Witness by some extremely conservative parents, I hid so many parts of myself for so long that the repression felt “normal”- like I could never show or tell people who I was or what I really thought or who I was attracted to. I may “look straight”, but I’m not. I’m pansexual. I’m also Polyamorous. I never knew the words for those things growing up, but between being in the adult industry and times changing, I slowly started to find my place in the world, along with my people. The first time I went to Pride, I was shocked. Elated. Overwhelmed. Giddy. It felt pretty amazing.

That’s my privilege talking. I read it loud and clear in those words, and I want to acknowledge that not everyone who wants to can “come out” for a myriad of reasons- being targeted with violent hate crimes, homophobia, transphobia, being ostracized by their families or because of the fear of discrimination at school, in courts, or at work.

Pride also means that today, tons of big corporations and companies are changing their logos and cashing in on those cute rainbow colors splashed all over everything. You may see a lot of rainbow-washing in your feed as companies capitalize on a culture they’re not even a part of, or worse yet, one they actively fight against by the organizations or politicians they support the rest of the year. Be mindful when you’re giving them your business- or even your “likes” on social media.

What Pride truly means is that throughout the years, so many people who we’ll never meet and whose names we may never even know fought with their lives so that we can dance in the streets today. Pride is a commemoration of the Stonewall Riots in 1969 and the constant plight of Trans people of color and lesbians, drag queens and gay men who paved the way for the protests that evolved into today’s observations of Pride. There is still so much work to be done, and if you’re new here, Pride means this month is a great place to start.

Here’s a great place to begin.

https://www.them.us/story/the-complete-history-of-pride

xo,

jd

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