I’m planning on going to pride this year since I’ve never been. I have a hard time with crowds so I probably won’t go every year, but as someone who’s kinda stuck in a rural area, it’ll be nice to see other queer people.

Its just ok. Its mostly just hanging out in a park and is super commercialized. If you’re a little more socially outgoing, go around and talk to people and try to make friends. Easier at a bar. Unfortunately, some people got handsy with me at a gay bar before so I’m not a big fan of it anymore. I’ve gone to pride basically every year since coming out, sans the covid ones where they stopped hosting it for a while.

Despite being out as Bi for almost 6 years, and out as trans for just over a year, I have not yet been. Partially because I used to live in Texas, partially because I wanted help (invite your friends people, queer or not) going. It sounded unfamilar, and the small city I lived in was not giving off good vibes at all.

Last year I planned on going to the event that also coincided with my birthday, but I ended up being unable to attend any functions because I was “taking a vacation”. 😉🤪

This year, I’ve moved to a far more enlightened part of the country, and I’ve been 100% living as me in public throughout it. I would be going even if I didn’t have a partner, but they are so supportive and we plan on attending at least a couple events together, and I’m quite excited!

As far as my thoughts go on the subject, I like the idea of pride, and I think if its safe for you to do so and you are able to attend an event, you should go.

• you’re going to meet people who lack the loud and ignorant opinion of your sexuality and gender that is far too common. This is important for your health. Any time I’ve spent time with another outwardly open and queer person, I leave feeling much more secure and confident.
• you’re not just going for you, you’re going for those who cannot. (Again, if you can plan for your safety.) There is a * lightly modified* phrase often said in church that (most hilariously) so applies here: you may be the first queer somebody sees.
• along the same lines as the previous, local pride events are a huge component of the roots and supporting structure for the LGBTQIA+ community at large. This is a chance to not only inform and involve yourself, but also a chance for you have your influence on it. All of the many various complaints we have internally about our community must go beyond the confines of a keyboard.
• Its gonna be fucking fun. It might even be some fucking fun, if thats something you want to go for 😉

This month is gonna be fun. And while there are plenty of companies who are gonna make money and plenty of political heads who will use it for their platforms (good and bad), that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go. If we went be that rule, then buying anything, or really even doing anything, would need to be avoided altogether too. And while I’m pretty far fucking left, I’m not going to suffer and shoot myself in the foot as protest because there are way more effective ways to change the world, and they’re all way more fun too.

Until we can be prideful without recourse all year all-round we can sure settle with one month… for now.

But on the flipside, the pride month is often taken over by corpos with hollow gestures and this is blood boiling.

Now it’s more important than ever to go. We need to show the transphobes and homophobes out there that we LGBTQ+ people and our allies are far more numerous than they think.

Pride is one of the seven deadly sins.

So naturally I love it.

I used to go to the Pride parade and festival in San Francisco every year after high school. I only stopped due to scheduling and money. Easy to get there with just some gas money; but I hate not being able to buy anything from the vendors.

it’s a crapshoot, when i went to my local pride it was half cops carrying thin blue line flags and zero people gendered me right even after being corrected, and i only felt more alienated the longer i was there and the more people i talked to.

the gay bar i ended up in was even worse for trans acceptance, literally the first thing said to me as i walked in the door was “you’re actually a guy right?” (i was dressed up as fem as i could manage with my time budget and assets), and i spent most of my time alternating between trying to escape a badly cross-dressed chaser and being shouted at by some drag queen that took offense to me walking past her so many times in my bids to escape that creep.

i honestly feel lucky for not winding up getting SA’d or worse, i’ve never been made to feel so uncomfortable before or since. all in all, it was pretty emotionally damaging, especially as i was only recently out and had just lost my entire social circle about it. i wish people wouldn’t talk up “the community” to newly out folks because “the community” doesn’t fucking exist, your local cliques do. and some of those are going to be filled with awful people, because being gay doesn’t make you a decent human.

i’m not saying every city’s pride is going to be like this, but if you’re not familiar with the local scene definitely go with friends (actual friends, not some random gay person who says they want to be your friend so they can borrow a bunch of money and then ditch you at some random gay club and then block your number when you’re not happy about it, the way i did), and bring a weapon.

tl;dr easily among the worst experiences of my life, and i’m never going again

I’m not a “participate in events” kinda person unfortunately. Crowds stress me right the fuck out. It would be out of character enough for me that I would more or less out myself if seen.

I will express my disgust that my workplace is doing a chick fil a fundraiser during pride month tho.

Pride is where my people are. I’ll be there! But it’s not until September in my city

I’m mixed. Some people take things too far such as getting offended at gender neutral pronouns or getting angry when someone misgenders by mistake. I’ve seen some people tiptoeing around me out of fear that I’ll rage on them if they accidentally use the wrong pronoun and it’s honestly sad. People shouldn’t have to fear retribution for a mistake.

I’m honestly terrified to show who I am outside of my home too unless I’m at a convention that’s open to it. Right wings are getting scary and I’m in Ohio.

I’m otherwise okay with showing some pride within certain areas. I just feel like I should be more reserved about it.

I think pride is cool and it sometimes help pass some LGBTQ+ friendly laws. it’s actually going to be my first pride, I’m not out though!

😐

I’m volunteering for several online events as well as my local pride.

I’m not really seeking out any events. Personally, I see it less as a time to celebrate and more as a time to remind others that I exist and I’m not afraid to be out. And I do that every time I leave the house anyway.

Lots of small-ish cities around me, I’ll probably end up going to 2 or 3 separate pride events (last year I made it to 2). This will be my first time fully “out” rather than undercover as an “ally”, so I’m excited!