Proud Pride

Dear Readers,

Before I start with this post I want to say this post is not intended to cause offense to anyone or any sort of negative emotions. I just hope to bring across a message of joy, hope, and love.

Now, on with the post. (:

June is World Pride Month and as a gay man this is my first I have gotten to celebrate being that I only came out in November of last year. 

Salt Lake City Pride was the first weekend of June and it truly was a wonderful experience for me. I got to spend it with friends and family that I love. I think my favorite experience from the entire weekend was the Sunday morning parade. I got to walk in the parade with a foundation I support and I got to walk it with my friends and family. I don't truly how to describe it but I truly felt beyond free and one hundred percent myself. There was no judgement and just love being shown to all.

Another wonderful experience that I got to experience this month is that I got to speak at Encircle: LGBT+ Family and Youth Center. I shared my coming out story and how I have learned to thrive after my suicide attempt (which is a whole blog post in it's self). It was truly a beautiful experience and even though I may have stumbled I am grateful for that opportunity and all who came to support me. I just pray that I was able to touch at least one soul. 

It truly changed me and I will never forget it.

To change gears a little bit I want to say what Pride means to me and hear it is:

What this month means to me is love. Pride truly is celebrating yourself for who you are, no matter if that's gay, straight, lesbian, or whatever that may be. It means love one another as yourself and learning to not be unkind to your fellow man all year around. It means spreading hope to those who feel hopeless. It means to show joy to the sad. 

I truly feel that once we realize that someones sexuality is just a very small part of them and it doesn't define who they are in any aspect of their life. So please, don't judge someone based on their sexuality but get to know them and I promise you will learn to love them... even if your beliefs differ. Anyone who is apart of the LGBTQ+ community is just like anyone who is apart of the straight community. We have dreams of having a family one day, being great at whatever career who pursue, and to love and be loved. We have more similarities then any differences we have. 

My challenge to you is to go about your day loving more and seeing the good in others instead of their faults. I promise that when you do, you will start to feel more happy.

“Love each other dearly always. There is scarcely anything else in the world but that: to love one another.” 

― Victor Hugo

Love,

Nathan