Friday May 25, 2007 SGN.org |
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Volume 35 Issue 21 |
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Friday, Sep 05, 2008
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| COMMENTARY - All I am saying, is give Pride a chance |
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by Rajkhet Dirzhud-Rashid -
SGN Staff Writer Sometimes, living on Capitol Hill, I forget how lucky I am. True, I do have a love/hate relationship with 'Seattle, proper', and occasionally with 'The Hill, but mostly, I love that I can be myself, and feel free to express who I am living here. All of those thoughts and more have come to be whirling around my head as I watch with wonder and some amusement, and yes, a little sadness the whole SOAP mess, and the subsequent battle over this year's Pride events. But I guess with more acceptance by the mainstream, any community that's been oppressed is going to experience a bit of 'intra' something or other. In this case that would be intra-homophobia, or homophobia from within our own community, perhaps a little self-hatred which is manifesting itself in the form of name-calling, blaming and so many other negatives. Still, the bottom line for me, who has been brought up short that living on 'The Hill', and enjoyed over the years, no small amount of victory as a Bi-leaning person is something to be treasured. Nothing like having a small mob of neanderthalic construction workers making homophobic and racist comments under your bedroom window--the construction project in my building brought me this lovely experience--to make you realize the value of Pride. Heck, the necessity, still, for us to be unified against the true 'enemy', that being intolerance and ignorance. We must rembmer not everywhere has been on this wave of tolerance and understanding that we enjoy in Seattle and not everyone is willing to embrace the idea that we are whole, healthy human beings just the way we; that we have something to be proud about. Personally, this year, as Pride gets nearer, I have to admit to a certain joy mixed with trepidation after all of the animosity of the past few weeks. And having to answer questions from straight friends about whether there will be a 'Pride' has been crazy-making to say the least. Still, in my heart of hearts, I believe in this community, in its strengths and its diversity will bounce back from anything and put on one helluva party. And I know that by the time Pride Sunday rolls around, people will be over the idea that (I hope), that anyone 'owns' Pride and be willing to march down the street, looking their most fabulous as a community (or sit on the sidelines and cheer on the marchers). After all folks, we're too far into successful progress on so many fronts to screw up by letting a silly thing like ego get in the way of our Pride festivities. I like to think of this community, with so many stripes of sexual preference, too diverse to try and put any one group or person at the 'head' of this table. Nope, we all lead and we all serve and we're all part of the good stuff. So, let's get on with it, and leave the petty squabbles and name-calling to the jackasses like the ones doing that horrid construction in my building. We're so much better than that, and we deserve a Pride free from 'old stuff' and free from childish squabbles like the ones I've seen lately. Hey, I'm psyched for a party, aren't you? Then babies, let's do this and may the spoilers just stay home and soak their heads that day, or get over themselves and come out, come out wherever you are. Let's give the morons out there something to talk about, something good. |
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