Changing Our Narrative
By Kimberly Y. Peters
It’s LGBTQ+ Pride Month again . . . 2023. Time to celebrate being who I am, not what I am. Celebrating who I am requires I reflect on personal experiences, wins, countless blessings and traumas. All have become a part of me and deserve attention during this month. With that, I can continue to thrive as I remain what I am. What I am is motionless and scientifically defined. I am human. I am homosexual. I am breathing—alive! In celebrating who I am, I get to celebrate me in a world that crucifies one they consider different or oftentimes lights a path to be followed.
Are you aware of the joy felt while in the vicinity of Pride celebrations? It could be much for those outside of the community. Inhibitions were left at our car doors. Yet those not tolerating but accepting of us have found it to be a place they will choose over and again.
Have you observed queer women walking down the street displaying their wide range of body types—freely? Possibly in Pride parades, have you appreciated men flamboyantly expressing their sexuality . . . same-sex couples in similar fashion yet identifying as polar opposites?
Or maybe you noted different-sex couples who are seemingly allies but in fact queer . . . committed, holding hands, but also holding on to the fact that in choosing each other they have been in long-term relationships with same-sex partners and still maintain that attraction.
What you may not find openly at these celebrations is who we are. We are more transparent at these events because there is a sentiment of liberation and safety—even if only for a day. The beginnings of long-lasting friendships are happening while you watch gay men hugged up in bars with their penises cradled in thongs . . . pressing up against each other as they laugh loudly and dance to the party sounds. A Trans-female may have just shared her therapist’s phone number while you are captivated by her breasts barely being held up by her bikini top.
Many have picked each other off of the ground so drunk from the pain of traumas they’ve endured. We hear each other’s stories . . . walk one another home. We share Lyft rides in keeping each other safe. Others with a more spiritual grounding are complementing one another’s inner beauty and inviting them to their spiritual centers . . . after sharing they are unicorns in a world seeking to sever their horns to make jewelry out of them. In these interactions, we’re encouraging one another to continue on the path to a rich and fulfilling life.
Pride month is a celebration of the overcoming of obstacles that many of us out and proud face, oftentimes violent. Most importantly, it is a celebration of who we are as a result of the love and guidance blessed upon us in a melting pot that seeks to exterminate our identities and prevent us from sharing our stories. Enjoy the concerts in the park, the two-hour parades . . . the targeted marketing. In addition, remember to reflect, honor, and celebrate who you are—an all-inclusive event!
