A few weeks ago, our challenge for the Blogwhore game was to create a meme. Rannie’s meme was to Show Your Pride.
I wanted to write something back then, but what could I write? I’m not gay. I’m not bisexual. But today it hit me. And I realized, we should all have some Pride. I have pretty much always been the type that looks at people for WHO they are, not the color of their skin or their sexual preferences. When I was a little girl I adopted the black lady who lived down the street from us because she was the same age as my grandmothers and they lived far away. I called her Grandma Ruth because that was who she was to me. When others asked, I would explain that she was my black grandma. Being a blonde-haired, blue-eyed child, I just didn’t get why this confused people. The first time I saw an interracial couple, Grandma Ruth asked me if I thought that was ok. I said sure, why not? I was 6, and in my eyes what difference did race make? I was about 9 or 10 the first time I met someone who was gay. Back in those days he would have been stereotyped because he was very feminine in nature. But what did I care? I was told that he liked men instead of women. So what? I still thought he was a nice man. When I was in my early teens my mom’s best friend had a step-son living in San Francisco. He got AIDs. At first I don’t even remember if we knew what he had, but I remember the first time I heard the words on the news. Again, I never looked down on him for his sexual orientation, I just thought it was sad that he had a deadly disease.
And this is why we all need Pride. We need to learn to tolerate one another. We need to live in peace, and no one should have to live in fear. No, I may not be gay, but I will never scorn someone who is. Instead I will stand by them and be proud that they are my friend.
Happy Pride to Rannie and all the other blogwhores. It was fun playing with you and I’ll be cheering you all on until the end. (Isn’t it ironic that on Pride Day they would vote off the only straight person? Oh well, I’m just happy I made it as far as I did.)