Jun 18, 2022 2 min read

Washington’s very successful Pride Day would never have happened without the tireless work of the families and allies of the LGBTQ folks around here, especially the mothers.

Things have changed so much in the visibility and acceptance levels of LGBTQ people that it is only in the last several years that I began to think we might have a Pride Day here in Washington.

What is the purpose of Pride?

I think that for me there are conflicting emotions. Pride Days give a person permission to kind of let themselves be free and relax and express who they are. Sometimes it may be the only time or place that gay folks can feel that kind of true expression, and there is a sadness in that for those who only feel that sense of self once a year.

But on the plus side it is empowering to the individual and now it seems like it is empowering to the allies and loved ones as well.

The wonderful thing about WashPride was that there were so many straight allies, families and children there enjoying the day.

I have been marching in Pride Parades since the 1980s. In those earlier days it was a necessary feat of activism. Then, we were viewed very differently – We were highly stigmatized as being promiscuous and diseased. We came out from hiding in the bars and onto the sunny streets once a year. We were not allowed to marry and could not conceive that we ever would be. Now we have gained the right to marry.

Another big life changer is the HIV preventative and management medications that are available now. HIV is no longer the deadly disease that it was 40 years ago. Now there is protection in the form of pre-exposure medications to prevent transmission.

So, after all those years of marching and protesting, today Pride Day is just a relaxed summer day for seeing friends and having fun. And that is good.

Patrick Arena

Washington