PRIDE Month

I've been gay long before there was pride.

pride [ prahyd ]
noun

1. a high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc.
   Antonyms: humility
   
   
2. the state or feeling of being proud.
3. a becoming or dignified sense of what is due to oneself or one's position or character; self-respect; self-esteem.
4. pleasure or satisfaction taken in something done by or belonging to oneself or believed to reflect credit upon oneself:
   civic pride.
   
   
5. celebration of a specific minority group and affirmation of equal rights for members of that community: Puerto Rican pride. Pride 1.
   Black pride;
   
   Puerto Rican pride.
   
   
6. something that causes a person or persons to be proud:
   His art collection was the pride of the family.
   
   Synonyms: boast
   
   
7. the best of a group, class, society, etc.:
   This bull is the pride of the herd.
   
   
8. the most flourishing state or period:
   in the pride of adulthood.
   
   
9. mettle in a horse.
10. Literary. splendor, magnificence, or pomp.
11. a group of lions.
12. sexual desire, especially in a female animal.
13. ornament or adornment.

I was actually shocked to note that the gay definition popped up in definition one and had Pride spelled out with an uppercase initial letter.

Pride [ prahyd ]
noun

1. recognition of LGBTQ identity, affirmation of equal rights, and celebration of visibility, dignity, and diversity in the LGBTQ community (formerly referred to as Gay Pride ):
   The primary mission of our new student organization is Pride.
   
   
2. events or organizations that celebrate the LGBTQ community and its members (often used attributively): LGBT people of color are celebrating Black and Latinx Pride this June.
   Pride was extra special the first year I was out.
   
   LGBT people of color are celebrating Black and Latinx Pride this June.
   
   Have you ever been to the Pride parade in NYC?

It still gets disgraced in America. Rainbow flags are desecrated by Neanderthals and self-righteous holier than thou goon-balls spew their hate and contempt. Pride is a lifelong feeling and one wears it however one feels most comfortable wearing it.

For me, my sexual identity and lifestyle are shared on an as-need-to-know basis. For the most part, IMHO, most people don't need to know. I don't celebrate for a number of reasons. Mostly, I don't like being outside in the sun and the heat, I dislike being around crowds, and I don't like drunks yelling in my ear(s). I also don't want to be confronted by haters who are there based on their Constitutional right to be a public a**hole.

So much for gay month.