I don't really do the diary writing thing very much, but since it's Pride Day, and I couldn't make it out to any parades or events, I thought I would use a DailyKos diary to express how proud I am to be a lesbian, and be part of the GLBT community as a whole.
It is a large and varied community. There are gay men, gay women, bisexuals, transgendered men and women, those who are simply bicurious, and many many of what I call "honorary gays"(Kathy Griffin). The explinations for all these labels can get complicated, here is an informative introductory clip-
Now, I am proud to be part of the gay community for many reasons. I am proud of our diversity, our activism, our empathy (ooo dirty word), and our awesomeness. I am proud of those who have come before me and who have fought for the rights I do have, such as Harvey Milk who serves as in inspiration to everyone, gay or straight.
I am proud to have something in common with such notable writers from the past like Virginia Woolf, Oscar Wilde, and Tennessee Williams. Plus such amazing present day ones like Dorothy Allison, Michael Cunningham, and the hilarious and intelligent Gore Vidal. Vidal recently had an interview with Bill Mahar that was one of the funniest and best interviews I've seen in a long time-
The GLBT community is also gaining a pretty fantastic presense among fictional characters on tv and in books. There was Will and Jack from Will and Grace (and maybe Karen, does she count?). There are Callie and Arizona on Grey's Anatomy, Rick and Steve the happiest gay couple in he world, Willow on Buffy, and many more. My three favorite GLBT characters of all time though are-
Dumbledore-
Patty-
And the amazing Lafayette from True Blood-
Basically I am proud to be a part of the GLBT movement as a whole in this country, and I wanted to take some time to appreciate a few of the contributions GLBT people have made to society. I am unbelievably thankful to everyone who has paved the way for me and my girlfriend to live out in the open, with nothing but supportive family and friends, and raise our baby son. I believe the country is becoming a friendlier and safer place for the LGBT community with every day that goes by, and with every new person who comes out and lets the world know who they are. I will leave you today with two great songs by two unbelievable singers, K.D. Lang, and Hedwig.