I remember the first time I went to pride. It was summer of 1999 maybe 2000, in the sticky humid south. I was 16 and went with my first girlfriend. I definitely wasn’t out and my family didn’t know either. Thank god social media didn’t exist yet. Lol. It’s possible I told my mom I was going to pride but only because she knew I had a couple gay friends and I was going with them. Not because I was actually gay and going with my “best friend” aka girl I kiss on the lips. 😂 On the way there, deep down I felt shame and guilt, like I was doing something wrong by being there. Because of our society and what we were taught. Another secret I had to keep. My anxiety mounded getting closer. I won’t forget that feeling getting out of the car holding my girlfriends hand as we walked into a space that never made me feel so free and safe to be me. All the worries melted, all the fear, the shame and guilt went away. I probably had a smile on my face the whole time. It opened up this whole new world to me. It felt like I was meeting my family for the first time. A special kind of family. There was an unspoken connection with strangers who knew what it was like to be bullied, to be different, to be scared to be themselves, to be exploring their sexuality, to be keeping so many secrets about themselves, to feel confused, to want to love who they want without consequences, to want to express themselves in clothing or makeup without judgement. It was home and it felt like I could breathe. Happy pride to all my lgbtq+ family. Stay safe out there. Love you!! 🫶🌈🏳️‍🌈👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩👨‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏳️‍🌈 #pridemonth #pride #gay #queer #queerlove #lgbtq #lgbtqia #loveislove #queerfamily #lesbian #wlw #lesbianpride #lovewins #equality #transisbeautiful #trans #nonbinary #beetxbeet