"It
The onl 's
y
I can be place
w
I want ho
to
be"
Stephen Scarborough
Come Out with Pride was joy, a reverent celebration, an easy insistence that life was beautiful and would continue to be so. The honoring of the Pulse victims near the beginning of
the parade was beautiful and moving, but met
with cheers. The police presence was seamlessly blended into the festive mood and rainbow aesthetic. People were simply themselves,
or the best themselves, if only for a few days.
Pride invoked a wonderful spirit - where the
tragedy of Pulse, the uncertainty and shock of a
Donald Trump Presidency, and the ever-looming presence of being treated unfairly or being
looked upon as lesser because of differences in
sexual orientation or gender identification - all
gave way to a collective bliss.
In short, it was beauty personified, 150,000
times over. Kudos to everyone who participated, attended, and most of all to those that organized the event. My only regret is that I didn’t
have my family there. To think there was a
time when people who purported divisiveness
and fear would selectively show clips from
Pride events of the past to advance a hate-filled
agenda. Pride in Orlando is an event that everyone should attend. Of course, the LBGT+
community should make the pilgrimage and
revel, but the community at large should as
well. Seeing all the corporate sponsors, experiencing the roar of the crowd, being there when
we all looked skyward at the fireworks together, it was a reminder that life not only goes on,
it can be better for all of us if we work, live and
love together.
42
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WINTER GARDEN MAGAZINE
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DECEMBER 2016