It’s not difficult to get wrapped up in the excitement of Pride weekend in Philadelphia: the start of summer, the glitter, the rainbows, the feather boas … what’s not to get wrapped up in?! Quite simply, it’s a definite formula for fun; however, the Pride events that take place all around the country surely don’t exist just for the sake of fun. What is the impetus for thousands and thousands of people to attend?
Let’s start by examining the word “pride.” The literal definition is the state or feeling of being proud, or a sense of one’s own proper dignity or value. There are a lot of amazing aspects about having feelings of pride, as well as holding pride-related events. For example, having pride in yourself and your various personal attributes promotes increased feelings of self-worth and validation. Having events dedicated to the celebration of that pride helps to reinforce such feelings on the group level.
To go further, events like Philly Pride, now in its 27th year, promote a sense of community. Community allows for a sense of belonging that all people, whether gay, straight or anywhere in between, are likely to experience benefits from, but it is minorities and those who are socially marginalized who seem to benefit the most. Marginalized individuals, such as those who identify as LGBTQ, are susceptible to depression, substance abuse, feelings of isolation and low self-esteem; however, there is a variety of research that speaks to the correlation between a strong sense of community and increased happiness, as well as individual well-being.
For the LGBT community, we started to become an actual community in bathhouses and back-alley bars. Eventually, despite being hidden from the view of mainstream society, the community became collectively empowered and strong enough to take a stand, expressing the first outward shows of pride. (I’ll leave the history lesson to the current exhibit at the National Constitution Center, “Speaking Out for Equality: The Constitution, Gay Rights and the Supreme Court.”) But, I am confident that the strong bond, comradery and shared experience among members of the earliest gay communities around our country endowed those very-brave individuals with the courage and resilience needed to start a revolution. As we find ourselves decades later still fighting for equality, it is only through a solid sense of community that we continue to proudly surge ahead in the direction of reaching common goals.
It is pride in one’s personal identity that allows for feelings important to social activism, like outrage and fury in response to inequities. Pride also invites a strong sense of self-respect and dignity, which also contribute to the commitment to longterm social activism. Without pride, we have no Harvey Milk or Edie Windsor, no Caitlyn Jenner or Laverne Cox. Feelings of pride, not unlike the events themselves, are crucial to our community’s visibility, its sustainability and its continued upward battle for full rights under the law. Without pride, our community and many others would be hard-pressed to find the sort of motivation required to consistently work towards the creation of real change and social movement.
Pride is, in many ways, the backbone of our community as well as the substance that fuses us. So, this year, let’s enjoy every moment of our Pride-filled weekend with the awareness of what we are doing there and why we really love it so much: It is the opportunity for us to celebrate boldly the pride that each of us has (or maybe, are working towards having) and the power of sharing in this feeling with our fellow lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. Happy Pride, everyone!