Who Takes Their Children to a Pride Fest, Anyway? We Do, And Here's Why

     Well, for starters, I did. And if you'd like to know why, I'll gladly tell you. It's because my children asked.
     My kids, 15, and 13, are gay. Very gay. I did not indoctrinate them into gayness, nor did they catch the condition at a Pride Fest. I'm not in the habit of being in and out of relationships, so perhaps I failed to indoctrinate them fully into straightness, but I honestly doubt it.
     They're gay, as many kids are. I'm lucky to have the kind of relationship with them that they trusted me with this information before any one else in our family. (They are no longer in any closets or I would NOT be sharing this information with you here in a blog.)
     I would NEVER in a million years miss an opportunity to support my kids, or how gay they are. I'm proud (no pun intended) of them for being so rigid in who they are in a world that often asks us to compromise ourselves. I'm proud of how assertive they are in their identities. I LOVED giving them the chance to see how VERY not alone they are.
     But also, for a moment, we represented something SO much more. Because so many members of the LGBTQA community are NOT accepted by their families, who gladly take them to Pride events. We represent a family so many aren't lucky enough to have. We represent a changing world, with so much love it misses no one, queer or otherwise. The world is all too often a cold and unforgiving place, but we don't have to be either of those things.
      Yes, I am that parent that takes their kids to family friendly Pride events. Yes, we are the loving home, living proof that they DO exist. Yes, they had a great time. And so did I.