This weekend found me in Philadelphia for the Pride Weekend festivities after a two-year absence because of the pandemic, and it felt nice to get out, and people were ready...and the weather couldn't have been more perfect.. it was packed. I think now more than ever it's important to show up at Prides to show they aren't dwindling, and we haven't gotten comfortable. We need to show up in numbers. It was great being with friends and the community. The little clandestine with my Honduras bartender was just a cherry on the cake! Yeah, I did. Pride is a celebration, and one of who we are. Pride isn't only a month; it should be our whole life. It is the lives lost to violence and ignorance, to hopelessness and lost to a lack of healthcare and fighting for equity. Pride is a remembrance of every person who has come before us so that we can be the diverse and gender fuck community we want to be and wear rainbows and dance in the streets. Pride is honoring the pain, lost, love and laughter. Pride is hope that the struggles and fights we continue to face will be alleviated for the LGBTQ, but we know it won't yet and we have new battles coming. And if you can research where your Pride merch money is going...for good, and for LGBTQ programs and charities, and not lining the pockets of big corporation. The only downside to the weekend was the news of yet another mass shooting, in Philly. How sad that this continues and doesn't have too. We were relived as we had planned to head to South Street but we opted for a place for dinner closer to my friends. Otherwise. Here's to us being US. Let the freak flags fly