Pride, And Where I've Been

It's almost been a full month since I last wrote.  Sorry about that.  I've wanted to write, but life has just gotten very, very busy of late.  I was in rehearsals for one show and then started rehearsals for another while still doing performances for the first one.  Jonah came to town to visit.  Caring for and spending time with my mom has taken some time as well.  I've also felt more tired lately and have also been spending less time on line and more time reading books, which has been nice.

I've kept a list of things I would like to blog about including my thoughts on President Obama's support of gay marriage; more thoughts about my mom's dementia and how it is affecting me; a Richard Dutcher movie I saw called Falling; what Jonah and I experienced on Temple Square while waiting for my newly married nephew and his bride; thoughts on the musical Man of La Mancha; thoughts on a favorite movie, Dead Poets' Society; my niece's baptism; and thoughts on missionaries, among others.

So I've got some posts coming up the pike, hopefully.  I'm not sure when I will be able to post all these wonderful ideas, but I would certainly like to.

There are some things I would like to post about my career, but I fear some of them are a little to personal, and the fact that some of my work colleagues know about my blog, I don't feel comfortable discussing some of those things so publicly, so those may just have to be for my journal.

Today, however, I would like to post about the upcoming Gay Pride Day here in Utah.  I'm not one who typically attends Pride, although I am certainly out and proud to be the gay individual I am.  I went to church instead of Pride last year, and this is what I experienced.  You may want to read the link before continuing.

Although I only wrote about the experience and not how it related to skipping Pride, I did not miss the irony that if I had skipped church and gone to Pride last year, not only would I have been surrounded by a bunch of people who would have loved me and accepted me for who I am, but I would have missed hearing the sanctimonious and hurtful comments of a couple of annoying church members.

I'm not making the same mistake this year.  I still enjoy church, but I am going to Pride this year.  I'm also marching in the parade this year.  I actually have a dilemma, though.  My work would like me to march with them, but I am also very interested in marching with the Mormons Building Bridges group, whose invitation is below:

Please come join Latter-day Saints in extending a message of love and support to our LGBT brothers and sisters by marching in the Utah pride parade. Each step we take will be an outward demonstration of our commitment to loving our neighbors. We are marching for the values of empathy and compassion that the Mormon faith teaches. Recognizing that silence (though coupled with good intentions) may leave some LGBT individuals to seriously question their self-worth in their homes, congregations, and before God, we are marching to save lives.

We will start lining up on 400 East between 300 and 400 South starting at 8 am. Please arrive no later than 8:30 am. The parade doesn't start till 10 am but the Pride Center folks have been so accommodating in moving us to the #1 position behind the grand marsall, we want to give them plenty of time to manage our big group.

Please check the weather report and within the parameters below, dress accordingly.Bring your own food and drink with you.

We will be marching in CHURCH ATTIRE (and walking shoes). This will send a powerful message. Particularly we hope fellow church-going Mormons will see us and think "gee they're just like me, maybe now I can stand up for LGBT people in my own congregation".

Please consider making a sign to carry with you. A list of approved messaging for the signs can be found in the "Files" section of the MBB Facebook page. Please only bring signs with approved messaging.

MBB will provide rainbow flags for those who'd like to march with them. MBB will also provide suckers with the phrase "love one another" printed on them to hand out along the parade route.

This march is not a political gesture, rather it is a simple statement that average Mormons do love their LGBT brothers and sisters and want to make that message clear. All who wish to march whether currently active LDS and/or former LDS are welcome. Please feel free to invite all like-minded friends to join the march. Thank you for being willing to stand up and build bridges of love and understanding. 

I haven't decided which group I want to march with.  For some reason, it feels more important and meaningful to me personally to march with the Mormons Building Bridges group than it does to march with my employer, but I also don't want my employer and fellow co-workers (who are also friends) to feel snubbed.  I haven't decided what I'm doing yet, but I will be attending Pride.  It feels like the right and necessary thing to do this year.

A fellow member from my Mom's ward who knows I'm gay said she would be marching in the group.  That meant a lot to me for her to reach out like that.

Anyway, I just wanted you all to know that I'm still alive, still have things to say, and hopefully can blog about them in the near future.