I grew up in an environment that demonized queerness. Not only through verbal reprimands and shaming, but also through violent means. I was abused several times and also witnessed instances of neighbors assaulting gay men and teenagers who were out.
I was also unfortunately never given the opportunity to come out; I was outed in eighth grade when I was still trying to understand my own identity.
We’re also living in an era of heavy transphobia, which even comes from marginalized communities as much as those in power. This is happening as queer leaders have helped organize against ICE through mutual aid and rapid response, while the number of transgender killings grows, and as some gay men even advocate to remove the TQIA+ from LGBTQIA+.
Pride has been, and continues to be, vital.
While violent rhetoric surrounded me as a child, I felt it lessen in the early 2010s, in my teens. There was music speaking out about suicide rates among LGBTQIA+ youth, and even viral campaigns hitting social media. This advocacy and demand for societal change began to dwindle; I no longer feel the same sense of allyship I did in high school and my early 20s.
This is what my experience as a gay man has been like up to now, and why I vehemently defend PRIDE in 2026.