Well, here we are again! Pride month…all scrambling around to get our fun and festive incentive items ordered, gobs of materials printed, and outreach strategies solidified. Fargo-Moorhead Pride down, Twin Cities Pride coming up!
What does all this mean, anyway? What is Pride month? And now that President Obama has made it “official” by announcing that June is National Pride Month (as if we didn’t know that!), what has changed?
Personally, I am disheartened by the way our trusted gay media outlets and many of our own nationally recognized LGBT advocacy organizations (such as Pride committees) festively encourage LGBTQ persons to drink their way to oblivion just to have an illicit sexual experience with someone they have never met, and then perhaps waking up to the face of their own desperation. I do not know of ANY Pride festival in the nation that is not sponsored by at least one alcohol company, unless perhaps they are so small they are still seeking those ever present alcohol sponsorship dollars.
And we wonder why we have a higher drinking prevalence. Good grief! I am just amazed at the alcohol ads in the gay press around pride (and any other time!). Have we sold our soul as a community? I know from personal experience, that most Pride Boards will not even discuss reducing or eliminating alcohol sponsorship. They cannot see where this marriage of money, alcohol, and Pride has gotten us thus far.
Just once, I would like to see real Pride in our lives presented as a focus of one of our own festivals. The harmony and family, the support and companionship exemplified by our faith in our own. Why are we not continuously questioning the need of our Pride Boards to take alcohol money? These are the folks that make our Pride into a business, a nationally recognized business venture bringing in millions of dollars to select cities all over the nation. Where are the questions?
Sometimes I am just sick over it…and other times I don’t give a damn…but never have I been able to come to that happy place that so many of you seem to be in, just ignoring it and saying things like, “oh…it is just all in fun”.
How many of us have sero-converted because of Pride events where we drank too much? How many of us have discovered that we regret our lst year’s Pride shenanigans? How many of us are looking forward to the oblivion of the druken weekend so we can pretend that we do not have to be responsible for our actions….because we got drunk?
Well, I suppose I should see the silver lining. If it wasn’t for this type of carelessness, for your poor choices, I would not have a job.
I pray for the day when there is no need for the work that I do. I look forward to the time when Pride will mean just that…healthy and proud LGBTQ communities. And I challenge you to ask the hard questions. Get involved!
