Pride

There I go again... the gay police are gonna come get me for sure... I forgot that it was "Pride" time again in DC. I had to check the website when a good friend who lives in Pennsylvania sent me an email and mentioned that he might be dropping by the Pride Festival on Sunday, June 13.

I dunno why I didn't remember it was Pride time in DC. I am a plain old disassociated gay guy, I guess. Perhaps it is a result of living with a recluse. Or perhaps it is because I don't like to stand around among crowds. Capital Pride has events scheduled from June 4 to June 13.

On the last day of this series of events, tens of thousands of people gather in downtown Washington, DC, at the Capital Pride Festival. They listen to speeches and watch stage performances, mill about various booths and displays, and check out the other people there. Usually, it is hot, sunny and unpleasant (weather-wise). My days of wanting to watch lithe young things with shaved chests wearing boots have passed. Frankly, I would rather be out riding my Harley.

Actually, my forgetting about Capital Pride has more to do with the fact that I am an out, open, regular guy. I don't need a day, week, or set of activities in which to "be proud." I am a proud man as I am -- proud of my accomplishments and my service to my community. And I'm not talking about the LGBT community. I am talking about my neighbors -- the area where I live. The area where I provide service by engaging as a civic leader. The area where I am respected for who I am and what I know, not because I am gay, but regardless of my sexual orientation (or the boots or leather that I wear). And that's how it should be.

Martin Luther King, Jr., said in his famous "I Have A Dream" speech that he desired that his children would "not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." This dream is a reality for me as a gay guy. I don't hide in the closet. I don't run around waving the rainbow flag, either. I am who I am, regardless.

... and that's how it should be.

Life is short: be proud of who you are, as you are, where you are, 24/7, 365 days a year.