The rush of colors and the raising of flags signify one of the most significant celebrations acknowledged by society – Pride Month. Though we may have already achieved that growth in society; we are still eons away from having the acceptance and respect from others.
It’s not just a simple celebration of sexual preference – but a cry for social equality, justice, and acceptance. It goes deeper than simply talking about romantic attraction. It’s a matter of identity – a matter of standing for what you truly believe makes you who you are. For the millennials, finding that voice and embracing that identity became obstacles and silent battles they had to fight for years before finding that peace and confidence.
Society wasn’t as open and accepting as it is now. Thus, many of these individuals had to suppress who they were – hide behind facades accepted by society. It was easier that way. There was no need to fight, to argue, to explain exhaustively who they were. Hiding their identities as if what was truly in their hearts sounded like a crime. With that, comes the overcompensation – to be better. Not just better but the best. They must be the BEST versions of themselves – successful, independent, and reliable. It becomes a disgusting juxtaposition of making up for the suppressed identity and further growing and succeeding for a society far too cruel to simply accept who they truly are.
The nightmarish scenarios and struggles for identity hopefully would end years down the line – and it would be through the parentage of this generation. Perhaps the quote, “millennials walked so the next generations could run” can be applicable in this scenario. The next generation of parents are now more open-minded and emotionally mature to provide that safety for growth that we so craved for.
How do I know this? Simple. I asked. What started out as a joke with my friends about their children – “what if your kid becomes a child genius?” or “what if they become a criminal mastermind?” – grew to become an opportunity to discuss serious matters – “what if…they turned out to be gay?” As sensitive as the topic may be, I trusted these people to be able to handle the question.
From chuckles and giggles of their children being the next Elon Musk or Mark Zuckerberg to the muted smiles and the softer tones in their voices when they openly declared, albeit proudly, “then they’re gay.” A casual yet powerful statement. It sounded natural – it felt like the type of normalcy our generation strongly craved.
I may not be able to properly give the statistics on this as this is purely based on the people, I know but I would gladly say this: not ONE of these millennial parents ever showed a negative reaction when asked about their children’s identities. I have seen how they raised their children – clumsily, imperfectly, but happily.
When their kid expresses attraction towards the same gender – it becomes an opportunity to discuss identity instead of simply dismissing and shaming their children. In the end, it’s watching the beauty of their children growing, unraveling, and discovering the complexities of who they are – every fashion statement, every piercing and tattoo, and every person they like.
This type of parenting style may be frowned upon now, but I know, this is the first step of the stigma dying. Pride month is not simply the celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community, rather, it is a celebration of acceptance and, at the very core of it, LOVE. This goes out to all the rainbow parents out there, thank you for being the epitome of what pride is all about. Happy pride month, everyone!
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Author’s email: tashamaxineflores@gmail.com