It’s Pride weekend once again here in Denver CO. As per my annual tradition I ponder the meaning of the word Pride and what it means to me. How does this serve me? (my favorite and most useful question) As an existentialist the answer would be there is no “Me” only “Us”. We are One after all!
But alas, there are many perspectives and points of view, so here we go.
“Gay (substitute your chosen identity) PRIDE is not about being proud of the fact that we happen to be Gay. IT’S about NOT allowing others (There are no ‘others’), to make us feel shame because we are gay, IT’S about NOT allowing others (yourself), to define (y)our worth based on sexuality, IT’S about NOT allowing others, to define the love we share as less pure, less real, less deserving of recognition. GAY PRIDE is about owning who we are, whether we are butch dykes, fem queens, or the always coveted “Straight Acting” gay (again choose your identity). GAY Pride is about valuing the diversity that is humanity in all its varied presentations.”(Tom Guest, Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman, USS BATAAN (LHD-5)] With edits by author of this blog.
I share my perspective here as well as the quoted material as a way of sharing my vision, or at least what I have learned. So to follow is another perspective from Cambridge Dictionary. “Gay(Choose your Identity) Pride: the idea that gay people should not keep the fact of their sexuality secret and that they should be proud of it instead, or the social and political movement that is based on this idea: a gay pride parade.”
So which is it? In the end, meaning is based on understanding and self imposed values. It is up to each of us to decide. So Pride to me is about celebrating my uniqueness while at the same time acknowledging our Oneness. Our specialness lays on the outside and our uniform Oneness is at our core. Knowing this frees us to be ourselves while respecting others and allowing them to be who they choose. I give you the right to hate me (or love me), while reserving this right myself. This is free will and is the only real law of the land. For clarity sake, I choose Love! For Love is all there is. How this Love expresses is not up to me. My responsibility is to allow it without judgment or complaint. I am who I am.
Blessings on your Journey of Love!
Sequoia Elisabeth
https://transness.org/ https://onenessministry.info/
Oneness Ministry 
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