Holy cow, it's the middle of June already! Where does the time go?

Cookout season has begun, gardens are in and growing, softball and baseball are in full swing, the days are long, kids are out of school playing in the sprinklers and eating Popsicles, vacations and family reunions are fast approaching, and for many it's time for Pride Parades and festivals (event dates listed by city).

Now I must admit, and some may find this odd or hard to believe, but, I've never been to a Pride event. I have spent some time lately thinking about why it is I've never been, and I don't really have a good answer. But I'm sure inquiring minds want to know, so I'll give it a shot.

When I was younger, I had a difficult time accepting that I was gay. During that period of time in my life, I avoided anything that would remind me, or maybe make it real to me, that I was a lesbian. I mean sure, I was crazy in love with a girl and I knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her, but I still couldn't wrap my brain around being gay. That just wasn't me. Pride was definitely out of the question back then. No way, no how. Not me.

I think a large part of my issue about being gay, or accepting that I was, was that every one we knew who was gay made being gay their entire identity. Instead of being gay being just another thing among all the other things about them, it became them. It consumed them. Instead of just being themselves they would conform to fit a stereotype with in the gay culture. I didn't want to define myself like that, and I didn't want others to define me that way either. Instead of letting being gay be a part of who I was, even a small part, I buried it away.

It took me many, many years, or maybe a decade, to become comfortable with who I am. I even see that the gay part of me is an important piece of who I am. These days I have no aversion to going to Pride and no real reason not to go, other than my anxiety of being in a crowd which I can deal with, but I just don't have any desire to go. I don't know why, I guess maybe I don't know or don't understand what I would get out it. Betty Please, on the other hand, has really wanted to go the last few years. We've talked about going since it's something she does have a desire to experience, but we never prioritize it and by the time she thinks about it we always already have plans on the weekends we could go to either of the two festivals with in a few hours drive from us. This year is, of course, no different. There's always next year, right?

While I may not see the importance in my attendance at a Pride event, it makes me angry to read that the Mayor of Birmingham, Larry Langford, refused to sign a proclamation for the city's annual Pride parade.

Langford told the News, "I don't think I'm intolerant; I just don't condone the lifestyle. I'm not going to endorse, condone or condemn anybody. I'm just not going to sign the proclamation." from Mayor Sulks, but Birminghams Pride goes on, Planet Out.com

Fortunately, permitting actually goes through the police department so the parade went on. So, actually the mayor was saying he couldn't stop the parade from happening, but he was sure going to make sure to state his objection. I wonder if that political move was really necessary.

Just in time for Pride season, the Obama campaign came out with an Obama Pride page on is official campaign website.

"While we have come a long way since the Stonewall riots in 1969, we still have a lot of work to do. Too often, the issue of LGBT rights is exploited by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this issue is about who we are as Americans. It's about whether this nation is going to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its citizens with dignity and respect."
- Senator Barack Obama

Many supporters have organized to march, and have already taken part in the Pride parades across the country, carrying Obama Pride posters.

While most US Pride events are happening in the next few weeks, some have already come and gone for 2008. Karen Ocamb, recaps LA Pride in her post L.A. LGBT Pride and Politics at The Bilerico Project.

Yes, Pride has always been a party. But something was markedly different this year. It was a very relaxed celebration. No one wanted to "fight" anything. We won - we won marriage, we won a new president and we will win against the antigay ballot initiative.

The only problem is - we haven't won yet.

Donna Rose wrote about attending the first ever New England Transgender Pride Rally in Northampton MA, in her post Transgender Pride at the Bilerico Project.

Little by little, however, the transgender community is finding its own identity away from its larger, louder, more established GL (and sometimes B) siblings. It is finding that it has unique needs that are not being met in the context of the broader community and, in fact, often get glossed over or missed as part of the bigger movement. Some in the community see this as reason to "secede" from the GLB communities (as if such a thing were even possible) while others are simply finding ways to celebrate our own unique identities in our own ways. It is in that spirit of celebrating our uniqueness that Transgender Pride has been born.

Redqueenruns writes about not attending Pride this year in the post Gay Pride at The Red Queen.

I can't say that I have been to a Pride celebration in some years though. I guess I just really can't say that I feel proud to be gay. Don't get me wrong, that is not the same as saying that I'm ashamed to be gay. To me it is like saying I'm proud to have brown hair, blue eyes, or freckles. In the scheme of things, being gay isn't very important in my life. The things that matter to me have very little to do with being gay. The health and happiness of my partner is at the top of my list and it would matter very little to me if my partner were male or female. The well-being of our families comes next...

I can relate to what Redqueenruns is saying, that's pretty much how I feel.

So is anyone planning on going to Pride or have you already been this year? Can anyone tell me what I'm missing and why it's important for me to go?