Pride Month is almost over. Northwest Arkansas’ parade was a week ago. It was broiling hot during the march for trans visibility and after. And then it rained, and the people danced, and they got out of the way to let the primary parade squeeze through with just enough room, because the invisible fences around their excitement had broken. 

There were some mutterings in recent years about whether Pride is still necessary, whether the goal was scored when same-sex marriage became legally valid throughout the U.S. just seven short years ago. Maybe we should all just settle down a bit, or maybe we shouldn’t because it’s all gotten so corporate and mainstream. 

The truth should be plain to all now, because the old persecution of gay and transgender people as too dangerous to be teachers, to be around kids or to even be spoken of aloud within school walls is resurging. Because some people refuse to get a haircut from my husband when they realize that he’s gay. Because a U.S. Supreme Court justice is musing that he should throw out the court decisions that protect my marriage and protect me from punishment for intimacy with another man. Because the Arkansas law against same-sex marriage is still on the books. Because people who would gladly attack and kill us are congregating around Pride events throughout the country. Because all of these facts will feed into ever more gay and trans kids hiding, hating or killing themselves. 

There is suffering right now, so, thank God, there is Pride. And in Northwest Arkansas it was crowded and warm and loud and good. 

Thanks for looking,

Dan