From Shame to Pride

Pride Parade, Missoula, Montana. (Photo by David Stalling)

by David Stalling

Because of society's norms and expectations,
Because of the pressure to fit a mold,
Because of distorted religious beliefs
Because of myths and misconceptions about manhood,
I spent most of my life hating myself.

I suppressed it.
I denied it.
I hid it,
I hated the truth that I was physically and emotionally attracted to men.

I hated the fact that I am gay.
I hated myself for something I never chose.

The weight of that hatred became so heavy
That there were times I wanted to end my life,
Believing the world would be better without me,
Than with the truth of who I was.

So I buried myself deeper.
Behind masks.
Behind silence.
Behind fear.

But eventually, I faced it.
I stopped running from my reflection.
I stopped apologizing for my existence.
I stopped treating my truth as a flaw.

And I came out.

Not because it was easy,
Not because everyone understood,
But because living honestly became less painful
Than living a lie.

That is why Pride Month exists.
It is for every person hiding in fear,
For every young person wondering if they belong,
For every soul taught to hate themselves
For simply being who they are.

It exists to create acceptance.
To create understanding.
To remind people that they are worthy of love,
And that they never have to earn the right to be themselves.

People sometimes ask,
“Why isn't there a Straight Pride Month?"
The answer is simple.

Straight people were never told they had to hide who they loved.
They were never forced to suppress their identity to survive.
They were never denied rights because they were straight.
They were never bullied, beaten, attacked, or murdered simply for being straight.

Straight people never needed a movement to prove their humanity.

Pride is not about claiming superiority.
It is about surviving what tried to destroy us.
It is a celebration of every battle fought,
Every voice raised,
Every march taken,
Every right won through years of hatred, bullying, violence, discrimination, and loss.

It is a remembrance of those who suffered before us,
And a promise to those who come after us.

Pride is not the celebration of being different.
It is the celebration that after generations of being told we should not exist,
We are still here.

Still standing.
Still living.
Still fighting.
Still loving.

And that is something worth celebrating.

We have come a long way.

And so every June,
beneath the colors of the rainbow,
We honor the journey,
Remember the struggle,
Celebrate the progress.

And look forward to a world where no one has to hate themselves
For simply being who they are.