Pride.

Today marks the very center of Pride Month. And NYC does Pride Month big, with parades in every borough. I went to Brooklyn Pride last weekend with 2 of my roommates. It was quite an outing (no pun intended). But it was only ridiculous because it took us 2 hours by subway to get there. It would have taken 15 minutes by car. No lie. Part of this extended travel time was the G subway's fault. The other part was my fault because we got on the wrong train twice and had to travel back up and down the same track twice. Oops. Maybe that's a metaphor for the questioning/coming out experience? Once we got to the parade, we were by the start of the route so it was pretty low key. My favorite was some councilmember saying into a speakerphone: "Brooklyn - the lesbian capital of the world." I didn't know the parade would be so educational as well! My roommates and I watched a cheerleading squad do a routine and then headed over to Ginger's, a lesbian bar I've been wanting to check out. It felt good to go out with short hair :) I can only imagine how insane Manhattan Pride will be 2 weekends from now - I'm sure BK Pride was just a teeny tiny preview.

So in honor of Pride Month, my hair cut, the upcoming June 20th NY Senate vote on marriage equality and gender rights, my LGBTQ Issues workshop, and Lady Gaga's new album, I wanted to write an entry about how proud I am to be gay.

I like to think that I started coming out when I moved to New York on August 15. That was exactly 10 months ago. But I've been questioning my sexual identity for many years before this year started. I just didn't know it. Homosexuality just wasn't a reality I entertained for myself. It wasn't in my plane of vision. Anyway, I didn't start this entry with the intention of talking about my sexuality. I wanted to reflect on all the gay-oriented advocacy and education and awesomeness that have been a huge part of my NYC experience. If being gay wasn't in my plane of vision before, I've now (sky)dived into a world where not only am I gay, but I am out and proud and care deeply about gay issues and rights.

- In September, I went to Stonewall and Cubbyhole, well-known gay bars (Cubbyhole is a lesbian bar), for the first time. Stonewall was the setting of the 1969 riots that sparked the national gay rights movement. I mention this not because I had never been to gay bars before (I have, in LA), but because these 2 places became something like go-to places and were normalizing factors for me.

- In November, I went to the NYC LGBT Center to seek out an LGBT counselor because I was struggling with my identity and having a hard time finding motivation and focus at work. I ended up going to my therapist Sue for 3 months. And aside from the fact that it started out as LGBT counseling, going to therapy remains one of the highlights of this NYC year. It was eye-opening and life-giving. And when Andrew left, I was so grateful that I had Sue to help me process that.

- In December, other GSVs and I went to a feminism panel at the Brooklyn Museum. The panel was for a book called "Click: When We Knew We Were Feminists", about which I've blogged before. We found out about the event through Feministing.com. Courtney E. Martin, one of the editors of the book is also a Feministing.com editor. Shortly after that, my roommates started to go to a feminist bookstore called Bluestockings, where coincidentally we saw Courtney again, introducing another speaker. We have been to many feminist book readings at Bluestockings, on topics including the criminalization of gay people and transgender experiences. I'm pretty much obsessed with Feministing.com, Bluestockings, and feminist literature - all of which have been part of my education on gay issues.

- In January, my roommates and I went to an HRC (Human Rights Campaign) women's event on Long Island. It was basically a party to celebrate women. Quite a swanky affair at a beautiful hotel. My roommates and I chased after the hor d'oeuvres waiters and danced like it was the end of the world. But about HRC, I donated $10 when I first moved to NY to become a member and have been getting weekly emails about the fight for gay rights. These emails include news briefs, petitions, video clips and have been instrumental in my education on issues such as the DADT repeal, DOMA, and marriage equality. I proudly display the HRC equality sticker on my agenda which I carry around everywhere at work.

- In April, I took over the LGBTQ Issues monthly workshop at the Foyer. I have really enjoyed them. I love facilitating workshops at the Foyer and being able to talk about LGBTQ Issues with the residents is a great opportunity. I've since run 3 of those workshops. We've talked about coming out stories, defintitions/labels, marriage equality, bullying. The NYC homeless and runaway youth population is full of LGBTQ youth and the Foyer is no exception. A good number of our residents are out and, based on what I've heard at workshops, more are questioning. The Foyer program and Good Shepherd Services is so cognizant of being inclusive. I've been to several agency trainings on LGBTQ issues for work, which I think is amazing.

- Also in April, we went to a drag restaurant for my roommate Krystina's birthday. She's all about the drag queens and gay-ness. She also took us to a drag queen/drag king pageant earlier in the year. Such an experience, full of Nicki Minaj and voguing! All my roommates are so open about homosexuality and supporting it, so that has been something I am so grateful for. I would go so far as to label our little community as specifically gay-friendly. We're that awesome.

- In May, my roommate Jess and I went to an all day rally in Albany called Equality & Justice Day. We went with the New York Civil Liberties Union. We took a bus to the capital to attend workshops on marriage equality and gender rights bills, to speak in person to state senators and representatives, to get pumped about fighting for these bills, and to celebrate gay rights. It was an amazing day and this little blurb doesn't encapsulate how connected and ignited I felt. When I was at LMU, I did one phone bank in the fight to repeal Prop 8 in California. I did it because I thought it was right. Not because I was emotionally attached to the issue. It's funny to me that I've now become so invested in this state of NY, which has been my home for only 10 months. The pictures below are of Jess and I and some friends at E&J Day :)

To conclude, shortly and sweetly, I'm so grateful that NYC has opened up this world to me. I'm so grateful that I very much feel a part of it. It's still new, but I feel comfortable here. A big part of the reason that I would like to live in NYC again is that the gay community here is invigorating and lovely. I feel right, here.