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Pride 2021

By Jim Crisp

Every year people ask me why? 

Why do we celebrate Pride? 

Why do we have to so publicly proclaim something about ourselves

that is so intrinsically private –

something that makes some people uncomfortable?

Here is what I say:

Not so long ago – right here – in this country,

They told us we were sinful, evil, dirty.

They beat us up.

They called us terrible names.

They slammed the church doors in our faces.

And we are still here!

They hunted us down.

They took our jobs.

They shamed us.

They raided our safe places.

They hauled us away in police vans

They photographed us, posted our pictures in the newspapers.

And we are still here!

They continued to attack us.

They threatened our lives.

They threatened those we love.

They took our lives.

And we are still here!

And still the assaults came, the arrests continued, the intimidation

the beatings, the bullying

until

that one night came

we said in a loud voice “no more!!!”

A few angry drag queens,

some courageous young men and women

said no and hell no!

And. We. Are. Still. Here!

The plague came and we began to die in the thousands, and no one cared 

They said it was God’s judgement.

They said we deserved it.

 and we fought back, we organized, we united

And we shouted back into the void,

you will remember us,

you will care and you will honor our lives 

and      We will survive 

and

We are still here!

And as we survived and thrived, their collective rage left one of

Our most fragile and vulnerable beaten, bloodied, tied to a fence

Dying with only the stars and a lone deer to shepherd him home

We will not forget

We survived and

We are still here!

They tried to divide us by race, and gender, and class.

Instead of being divided we embraced one another –

all of our brothers and sisters, all of our unicorns and magic children

who refused to fit into the prisons of gender and sexuality they created

for themselves and for us.

We proclaimed the beauty, the fabulousness of all of our colors, all of our differences,

All of our joyful, creative, light filled, courageous lives

And we are still here!

They said we could not serve in the military 

We said, “hell yes we can”

They said we could not teach the children

We said “just watch us”

They said we could not join in marriage the loves of our lives

We said “oh yes we can”

They said we could not serve in our government

We said “oh yes we will”

They said we could not run for president

and we said, “just watch us!”

And we are still here!

We stand on the shoulders of 

remarkable

determined

unique

Human beings who have allowed us the lives we have, 

who have given us great freedoms and responsibilities

by paying the price with their lives.

If this is not something to celebrate with

Great joy     

great love     

and great pride

I don’t know what is, but surely this is it

We are still here

And we have great pride in how far we have come

We have earned it.

Our pride

we have paid for it.

Our pride

we step into the light and

we celebrate it together

under our many colored

rainbow banner

of   

Pride.

Proclamation From The Mayor's Office

2022 PROCLAMATION

2021 PROCLAMATION