It is June, and that means that the bigots will start to cry about the absence of straight pride. If this is you, please scroll on by. As an ally, how can I best support my loved ones who identify as part of the queer community? How can I use my voice to further the cause?

I have a regular morning meditation practice, and this morning I listened to one of Ross Rayburn’s Courage meditations on the Peloton App. Ross talked about how it was helpful to transmute our rage into love, and that love was the basis for courage. One does not fight for a cause if one does not love those affected by the societal ills underlying the need for that cause. This is where I warn you that I support my LGBQT+ community, and if your instinct is to spout hate in the comments, you need to leave my space. I made the mistake of attempting to have a conversation with a friend whom I identify as a Christian Nationalist. He questioned why we need Pride, why not straight pride, and he stated that there are only two genders (he meant biological sexes). I argued using evidence, discussed how gender is a social construct and that biologically speaking there are a few more than two ways to put X’s and Y’s together (X, XX, XXY, XY, XYY, XXXY). One might not know that they have an extra chromosome unless genetic testing is done. I was told that I was an idiot, and yes, I did travel down a bumpy path of self-righteous anger, before deciding that I did not have to actively engage with someone whose ideals and political standing stands in direct opposition to, and actively harms a large diverse group of people. I have said my peace, I have spoken out, now I can slowly let that friendship fade and focus on supporting those who might not have cheerleaders to stand up for them. After I turned off notifications for the post and snoozed the culprit, I felt a sense of peace. I can fight the battles, but I choose to engage with people who have an open mind, who will engage in dialog, who want to learn about the world, and have the capacity to love others. I want to tap into a source of courage based on love to be a super ally and make a difference when it is possible. So this idiot, who has done a bit of research will take her love to those who need it. And I will do it wearing rainbows and a whole bunch of glitter. Happy Pride!