Pride is held in June in remembrance of the Stonewall Riots. Stonewall began on the night of June 28, 1969, in response to a police raid at the Stonewall Inn in New York City. It was not uncommon for police to raid spaces where members of the LGBTQ+ community were known to frequent, but this time the locals fought back. This night set off six days of protests and physical fights between the community and the NYPD. The first American Gay Pride Parade was held a year later through the streets of Manhattan. Today, Pride is a celebration of freedom and acceptance, but it also gives members of the LGBTQ+ community a space to advocate for their rights and their livelihood.
This year, I attended the Friday and Saturday evenings of OKC Pridefest as well as the Sunday festivities, including the parade. I took this opportunity to speak with a few individuals of the community on the importance of Pride Month. I wanted a variety of perspectives, but willing participants were in the average age range of late 20s to late 50s. Nonetheless, I received wonderful insight from all participants. I heard many stories this weekend from different people, sexualities, and gender identities. The common factors to the importance of Pride for each of these individuals were visibility, community, queer rights, and above all else love.
I had only two questions, “why is Pride important?” and “would you like to share why Pride is important to you personally?”
Because I was asking such vulnerable questions, I emphasized anonymity and asked participants to answer as openly as they felt comfortable. The following are their responses, which hold their testimonies.
Why is pride important?
“Pride is important because under this administration the LGBTQ community is under fire and we’re not going anywhere no matter what. There’s always going to be trans people, there’s always going to be gay people, so we need to be here and be supportive of our community.”
“Having a strong sense of community with people like yourselves is what keeps you going. We are people, we are social animals and we need to have solidarity with one another in order to thrive, so it’s really lovely to see this community thriving.”
“It’s important to remember that Pride was a literal riot because they were coming in and beating us and taking us to jail and murdering us and taking away our rights. We had to fight back, and we’re still fighting to this day.”
“It’s also important to remember that visibility is critical in any society especially if you wish to change the direction of society in a peaceful and constructive manner. Pride is visibility for all of us. Even those that don’t feel comfortable in their life yet. They have an opportunity to come anonymously and be amongst people who have been through their struggles, who will continue to go through those struggles. It’s that visibility that we absolutely have to maintain.”
“I’m very naturally affirming of all of God’s children and them knowing that they’re loved is huge. I feel bad that I didn’t see more religious representatives in the crowd today. I did see a few, so that’s a start.”
Why is pride important to you?
“I was sixteen when I came out and I didn’t have anyone and I just felt like I was alone and coming to pride… makes you feel like you’re not alone and that you have support.”
“I am also new to realizing my queer identity and it’s really wonderful to see how many people here, especially in a red state like Oklahoma, are so accepting and it makes me feel wanted and loved.”
“I tried to come out to my parents when I was thirteen years old and there was a lot of abuse that came after that. That kept me in the closet hating myself for pretty much my entire life until I was thirty-nine years old and had a nervous breakdown. Pride was my opportunity, I came out only a couple months before, and it was my opportunity to rip the Band-Aid off and make up for a lot of lost time and show myself, to be amongst people. Again, that visibility that is so critical.”
“My wife is trans and I have two trans children. The government is actively working to take trans rights away and classify trans people as terrorists to put them in prison. That is why it is important for me to work to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
“I came here to support [my daughter] and it’s also important for everybody. Like, who cares who you love? Just be human and love everything.”
All responses can be summed up with 3 words: community, visibility, and love. That is what Pride stands for. As one participant states:
“Love is so beautiful. Love is everything.”
Jessiekah Cook is a third-year Creative Writing major at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.
