Two Mommies AND A BABY!: Pride

I have never loved the Pride Parade here in Chicago. There are way too many people in way too small of a space. It is usually really hot. People are usually really drunk. And overall, I usually find myself totally overwhelmed and hoping that it all ends quickly.

On the other hand, I have always LOVED Pride Fest. Pride Fest is much more my pace. There are fewer people, especially in the early hours of the day, and there is festival food and space to move around and even a pet parade. These are all things that I am fully supportive of.

I have never enjoyed Pride Fest as much as I did this past weekend. Not only did we attend Pride Fest for the first time as a family of three, but we also attended with my sister, her husband, and our nephew. The day was hot and exhausting and completely wonderful. As we walked through the festival, I found myself feeling so so full of pride.

I am so proud of the family that Carla and I are building. I am proud of the love that we all have for each other and the way that we are building our family and forging a path for ourselves through this life. I am proud of the mom that I am becoming and so proud of the mom that Carla is showing herself to be. I am proud of our little Millie. She is quirky and smart and loves people and is so so happy. I am proud of the person that she is already becoming and I feel like she was always meant to be our daughter. I am proud of our family.

And I am so proud of the family that surrounds us. Knowing that my sister and her husband were excited to bring their son to Pride Fest fills my heart with so much pride. Knowing that we are so supported by our family and knowing that our nephew is being raised to be proud of his family too, fills my heart with such joy. I feel proud and I feel so so lucky.

I recently read that there are people who are upset by Gay Pride activities. There are people who question why there is no Straight Pride. Why there is no parade celebrating those who are straight. It struck me as odd. I suppose I see where people might be coming from, but the truth seems to me to be that there is not a real need for a Straight Pride. Straight people don't have to prove that they aren't scared to be themselves, even if people have a problem with it. Families with a mom and dad don't need to feel the relief of being in a place where they know for sure they won't be judged and no one will comment about the kind of family that they are. Kids with straight parents don't need to go to a special place just to feel like everyone else. These are things that Pride events give to us. There are the things that we look forward to.

And here is to hoping that one day Pride Fest and the Pride Parade will be nothing more than a chance to celebrate. Here's to hoping that one day, we won't need a special setting to feel accepted without doubt or to feel as if we can be ourselves without worry. Here's to hoping that the Supreme Court of this country will come back this week with rulings on the DOMA and Prop 8 cases that will help to make our family every single bit as equal as anyone else's. Here is to hoping that one day Gay Pride events will make as much sense as Straight Pride events and that we will just be able to celebrate a general pride in being the exact people that we are.

Until then, my family will take our Gay Pride and we will celebrate it in any way we can. So, here's a small look into our day of Pride...