New Experience #2 & 3:
Milford Pride Picnic & Being an Event Sponsor!

I'm having trouble articulating why it was so important to me to show up this year as an ally. I've been an ally for quite a while (not always, to my great shame - was pretty neutral on the topic for most of my life), but a flag in the yard, a social media post, was as far as I typically went. I would look at photos from friends who went to Cincinnati's Pride Parade and wish I was down there, but my lack of mobility was as good an excuse as any to stay home from this event like I did from most events.

Jeff and I were talking about why we feel so strongly about this and I think for Jeff it comes from one of his biggest values - JUST LEAVE PEOPLE ALONE - and for me it comes from my biggest value - BE KIND. Be a kind person. It astounds me, the level of interest people have in how others live their lives and their subsequent actions that cause hurt and grief.

The opportunity to not only attend my first Pride event, which is practically in my backyard, but also be a sponsor of one of my favorite local artists, Rachel Baker of The Twisting Sister, filled my cup. 

I looked around when I first arrived and the JOY was palpable. Smiles, laughter, kindness: all the things I love. 

I was able to move from booth to booth with the help of Jeff and my fantastic Camp Chair (pictured above) and it felt amazing to be out & about without fear of where will I sit!

Seeing so many local friends made me remember why I love community - being in community with others and connecting with others.

And seeing Tara Means and her family (The Honey Hive at Pivot Realty) never fails to being joy to my day!

I even took the time to create my own custom bracelet with the names of people I love and for whom I want an incredibly bright future. 

And there was no way I was missing the opportunity to have a Kate Albert original right there on my arm!

But why...

Why is Pride Month even a thing. First, a short history lesson. 

How Pride Month Began: A History of Resistance and Remembrance

Every June, we observe Pride Month—a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community’s courage, identity, and ongoing fight for equality. But this month of rainbow flags and parades began not as a party, but as a protest.

The catalyst? The Stonewall Uprising in June 1969.

After yet another police raid on the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City, LGBTQ+ patrons fought back. What followed was several days of resistance, led by marginalized voices—especially trans women and queer people of color—who demanded to be seen, heard, and treated with dignity.

In the wake of Stonewall, activists organized the first Christopher Street Liberation Day March on June 28, 1970—the one-year anniversary of the uprising. It marked the beginning of what would evolve into today’s Pride parades.

President Bill Clinton officially declared June as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month in 1999, later expanded by President Barack Obama to include the full LGBTQ+ spectrum.

Pride Month is a time to celebrate progress—but also to remember the protests, the pain, and the pioneers who paved the way.

Because Pride is not just a celebration—it’s a chapter of history.

If you'd like to learn more about the Stonewall Riots and the history of Pride - follow Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center.

Why does this still matter...

In case you think this is hyperbole, while almost 10% of US adults now identify as LGBTQ+, 39% of LGBTQ+ young people seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, 40% of transgender adults have attempted suicide in their lifetime, and LGBTQ+ individuals are FIVE TIMES more likely to be victims of violent crime than non-LGBTQ+ people. 

As for me and my home, we will always be a safe place.

This blog post is definitely one of my more poorly written ones. The more I feel, the less I'm able to express it in words. And for that I apologize.