Phoenix Pride unites, educates, and engages people to support and empower the LGBTQ community and our allies.
We recently asked the community to offer feedback on the question “What does pride mean to you?” The responses were overwhelming, and we appreciate all of you who responded to this request! We wanted to share a few that really stuck out to us:
“Pride to me means being able to be your authentic self, being proud of who you and standing up for yourself every time someone questions your pride. I’m proud of who I am because I’m a part of a unique community with the same struggle all fighting for the same goal Equality for all.”
“An alternate definition of Pride is: “a group of lions in a social setting.” I’ve been a lesbian activist for over 40 years and if the LGBTQ community isn’t a group of lions, I don’t know what is. Like lions, who are celebrated for their courage, strength and fierceness, we have survived those who have hunted us, persevered through hundreds of years of discrimination, and continue to fiercely fight for our right to exist. During this month of Gay Pride, I renew my membership in the LGBTQ community, and stand with my Pride. Hear me roar!” [sic]
“So, my pride is easy. It’s my wife who I have been with for 15 years. She still makes my heart beat like the 1st time we hung out. We are from a small town here in Coolidge AZ, pop 12k, we used to get the “their gay” looks daily. So, we had some drama last year and one of our biker bar owners decided to host a drag show at Momma Juggs. The event was named after one of the city council members for publicly shaming the LGBTQ. The funny thing, the biker bar owner is affiliated with the Hells Angels. So, my pride story is this, if my town of 12k people can come out and support our be a better human campaign, that’s beyond pride to me. My town mayor and city manager were out cleaning up trash next to the 2 lesbians. L❤VE That!” [sic]
“In nature, the typical core of an African pride of lions is formed of females. They are generally related to one and other and remain in the same pride from birth to death. Now I am not a female and I am definitely not a lion, but I decided to open with this visual because it shows what pride means to me. It means that you are a part of a bigger picture. You have a role. You matter. It is symbolic that typical African prides are made up of females because I am a homosexual male and I am proud of my feminine qualities. I am proud of being able to form stronger bonds with females. I take pride in being a homosexual male that has some feminine qualities. I am part of the bigger picture. A picture filled with happiness, strength, courage, and positivity. That bigger picture is our Phoenix LGBTQ community and the role I am proud to play is someone that is present and visible. I stay proud because I see everyone in this community playing their own role and I see the progress it is getting us. Remaining proud gives me something to look forward to.” [sic]
“I wake up every morning and celebrate the life that I have constantly fought for, that is what pride means to me. You see the odds were against me. I was raised a Jehovah’s Witness, I was kept in bubble, if you will, and although that bubble was so thin and easy to pop I was so controlled by this religion, I knew no other way, it wasn’t until I choose to live for me that I was able to make it out. I left the religion after coming out as a lesbian, years later and now as a proud transgender man I look back and so how I choose to keep going despite every roadblock. Pride to me is celebrating MY life the one I choose, who I am and celebrating the impact I can make. I remain proud because it keeps myself and well as the people I impact going. The connections I make because of my pride in myself because continued healing.” [sic]
Thank you for the continued support to Phoenix Pride!
