Pride Month
NippyFan
Back in the day, I’d party in NYC. I wasn’t gay, per se, or aware of my potential to “play for the same team.” But I most certainly partied my ass off in gay clubs. I’d even recruit friends to come with me, who had zero “tendencies” and just couldn’t understand for a second, how I did. I recently told one of my friends, “I can say what I prefer because I’ve tried both. So you might be, but don’t know it, because you haven’t tried it”. She’s been one of my besties since High School and I can honestly say, her picture should be featured under the definition of “hetereosexuality”. She’s not judgmental or funny style about it, just not about it. But, she would sometimes grace me with her partying presence and when the last song at the blackest, gayest lesbian club in New York City would drop, she’d hit that dance floor hard. A lot of my friends would just come with me because “damn, it’s fun to just dance my ass off and not worry about some guy humping on me.” My friend screamed this in the middle of the dance floor, surrounded by women who surely would’ve taken her home that night, but respected her space and fun. So we all just danced. That last song that made wallflowers slide to the dance floor and bloom, was “I was born this way” by Carl Bean. Carl Bean is now an ArchBishop. And that’s levels. This is a remake, but this is the version that brought down the house every club night. Nanny’s is long gone, but I still have that anthem song in my vinyl collection.
By Dayna Clark5 years ago in Pride
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
Sydney (Australia) Mardi Gras by Mike Friganiotis Normally held each year, the Sydney gay and lesbian Mardi Gras is a cacophony of costume, colour and courage. But it didn’t happen in 2020, when COVID-19 put a stop to all public celebrations. My home town knows how to party, and fortunately for everyone, Australia’s strong approach to dealing with COVID-19 has meant that in 2021 things were back to normal…well, nearly!
By Michael Friganiotis5 years ago in Pride
Driving with Pride!
I worked as a Lyft Driver for 3 years. My first year I marched with Lyft in the Pride Parade and met all kinds of fabulous along the entire route then spent the rest of the day giving rides to people heading to the Pride Festival. It was one of my most memorable days ever. The day passed in a blur of color and singing and love. The most fun moment was taking a young man to a local bar to meet his friends who were waiting there with signs and balloons and flowers to celebrate his Coming Out and his 21st birthday. The most poignant moment was driving a woman past her sister who was standing with protesters at the entrance holding a sign that read, "Jesus Hates You". We had a long wait to get to the drop off point so I handed her tissues, held her hand for a minute and let her sit in the car long enough to fix her make up. I wish I could have done more.
By Sonya Joseph5 years ago in Pride
Sweet Freedom
1975 was the year I turned 15, and this song was the one that really brought it home to me--some people made difficult choices. Choices that meant conformity, not happiness. Choices that meant hiding under a bushel instead of letting their true light shine.
By Paula Shablo5 years ago in Pride
For Muxes, Every Month Is Pride Month. Top Story - June 2019.
In Mexico, down in the southern state of Oaxaca, muxes, pronounced MOO-shays, celebrate and honor their LGBTQ+ identities during and beyond Pride Month, and have done so since pre-colonial times. Assigned male at birth, muxes are distinctively identified as a 'third gender' amongst the Zapotec indigenous communities of Oaxaca. Muxes not only embody female physical traits and attributes, they assume familial and communal roles and responsibilities typically reserved for those assigned female at birth.
By Jose Antonio Soto7 years ago in Pride
