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Why Pride?

I overheard a (presumably) straight guy on the BART complaining to his (presumably) girlfriend that the gays should just "be" instead of taking a day to crunk up traffic and make life miserable for others for one day.  At least that was my take of his goings on.  After that he did some pull-ups on the rails, seemingly to show his woman how masculine he is.

I thought about LGBT Pride Day, having just been deeply moved (as I am every year) by LGBT folks taking over major thoroughfares of commerce.  Down Market Street, what significance is it that a man rode his bicycle nude, or children of gay folks skipped rope blocking traffic so folks had a hard time getting to Fisherman's Wharf?

The question is itself.

And one thought that springs up is:  of course it would be great for all LGBT folks, or all Black folk, or Puerto Rican folk, or women, or the handicapped, to just "be."  We could and should do the introspection and build thoughts, words and actions in our individual lives to live authentically and fully.  We have the potential to bring our full lives to all areas of our human interaction.

Yet, it is in the gathering of like-minded folk: or even different-minded, yet classified as "us," that we shape the identity that then can just "be."  It is seeing others having children SUCCESSFULLY and expressing themselves outrageously without getting shot, beaten or killed, that allows the more timid amongst us to live more fully.

So I say, bring on the inconvenience of the days when we shut down and pause and think about what it's like being different.

Live Well.  And it's good to be home from the foggy city with the Golden Gate Bridge.

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