Celebrate

 Pride. In the name of love. 

Yes, I know Bono had a very precise moment and person in mind when he wrote that song. Even though he managed to mess up the actual time of the assassination of Doctor Martin Luther King this ditty by U2 has been played for decades as a hymn to those who fought and died for civil rights here in the United States. 

But since it's June, and we are all endowed by our maker certain inalienable rights, I figure we might as well include those members of the LGBTQ+ community within the chorus of that track by Ireland's chief export. 

It was in 1970 that the first Pride March took place, marking the one year anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York City. In 1969, in most of these aforementioned United States, homosexuality was a criminal offense. The Stonewall Inn was a gay bar that had its share of harassment and raids, but it was on June 28, 1969 that something changed. Rather than just cowering and letting the abuse by local police, the patrons and onlookers fought back. The ensuing melee went on for days, sparking what would become the Gay Rights Movement. 

Suddenly, gay men and women found their own voice in a sea of change that included African-Americans, Latinos, and a burgeoning Women's Liberation movement. Punches, bottles and bricks were thrown. Blood was spilled. But no one died. The voices raised that night in Manhattan echoed across the land. The closet door had been kicked down, and all sorts of people came pouring out. 

Fifty-five years later, things have changed. There are Pride events scattered across a full month of awakening. Hate fueled by ignorance and fear make the progress hard to see sometimes. Each time an LGBTQ+ person is elected, awarded, appreciated, we still give a nod to the "firstness." There are still those who would like to turn back the clock and return to a world that didn't ask or tell. 

But in the end, it's all about love. There isn't enough of that in our country. In our world. Making room for that exists between us all is what it's all about. Not in 1969. Not in 2024. 

They could not take your pride
In the name of love.