With Pride

Well, ladies and gentlemen, Pride month 2014 is upon us. By the time you read this column, less than 30 days will remain before OKC Pride Weekend is here. That said, I am putting out the call for action!

June 20-22 promises to be a fantastic weekend for everyone who chooses to take part in the festivities. Taylor Dayne and Martha Wash will be there to kick off the Friday Night Block Party. The weekend-long Festival, along with our Performing Arts Showcase, should not be missed. Then, of course, the parade on Sunday, which will feature as grand marshals Mary Bishop, Sharon Baldwin, Sue Barton and Gay Phillips, the four women at the center of Oklahoma’s marriage equality lawsuit. While OKC Pride has been working hard all year to make sure the weekend goes off without a hitch, there is still much to do.

If you’ve never been involved with the planning and execution of Pride, I can promise you it is an exhilarating (and a bit exhausting) experience. It’s a great way to meet new people, build contacts and generally strengthen your social network within the community. I can also promise that if you show up to volunteer at any point between Friday and Sunday, there will be something useful to do. Whether it’s just a few hours or the whole weekend, anyone who wants to volunteer their time should visit okcpride.org for details.

This year’s theme is Simply Equal. That phrase encompasses a lot in terms of values, ideals and moral standards. All that aside, I want to communicate to you that this year’s Pride Weekend is perhaps the most important in its long history. In my conversations with Mary, Sharon, Sue and Gay, they all have said repeatedly that their fight is not just for them but for everyone who wants to have the love they share officially recognized as legitimate by the state they call home. I couldn’t agree with this sentiment more because, to my way of thinking, none of us are equal until all of us have equality.

As June 20 draws near, I would ask that each of you take a moment and reflect on what some of often-heard words in our community – such as “pride,” “equality,” “rights” and others – mean to you. As for myself, I can say that “pride” is more than just a fantastic weekend party (as fun as that is); it’s an opportunity to show pride in myself, my community and my state.

Please join us June 20-22. I look forward to seeing you there and celebrating what promises to be a Simply Equal celebration.

by Kindt Steven Myers, OKC Pride President

The Gayly – June 15, 2014 @ 1:25pm