How do you show LGBTQIA+ pride?
Hi everyone!
The 2019 Mardi Gras Parade is coming up next weekend, so I thought this was an ideal time to reflect on the positive components of LGBTQIA+ identities and how we celebrate them. A lot of what we discuss when it comes to diverse sexualities and genders lies in our shared struggle for acceptance and the complexities of coming out. These stories are incredibly important - they unite us in empathy and hope, and can provide a path to better understanding ourselves and our community. However, I think it is equally as important to celebrate the small victories that accompany being LGBTQIA+, as these moments of queer joy make the challenges we face worth the heartache.
With this in mind, I wanted to know - How do you show LGBTQIA+ pride?
This question is directed at everyone, including our fabulous allies, because I know that the support of family (chosen or biological) and friends is an incredibly important component of reducing shame and allowing queer individuals to step into their truth and shine.
I would also like to emphasise that this is a question directed at ALL members of the LGBTQIA+ community, regardless of whether you have come out or not. Not all forms of pride involve marching down your main street with a rainbow flag - some of these moments may be experienced in your own mind. For example, prior to coming out, I used to celebrate Mardi Gras by buying myself a bag of my favourite chocolates and binge-watching Carmilla, a web-series about a lesbian vampire, when no one else was home. This may not seem like a particularly ground-breaking experience, but it was the start of my journey of self-acceptance and was my own small way of reminding myself that not only is it 'okay' to be gay, it is FANTASTIC!
Can't wait to see how you all celebrate who you are! Happy Mardi Gras! 
Comments
@Zelda_The_Dyke That's awesome, I wish I could draw well! What's your favourite thing to draw?
I love a good lesbian movie too, do you have a favourite? I always loved Carol because I adore Cate Blanchett, but I'm always on the lookout for something new.
@queenP I love love this thread!!!
I hope you don't mind, I've linked it to the homepage, and the announcement text on the side.
I am SO excited that it is Mardi Gras this weekend. I am currently preparing my costume for the Mardi Gras party I am going to.
I am excited to celebrate pride by being colourful and having a big party!
Love all the other ways people are showing their pride!
Loving this thread @queenP!
If you are looking for some information, support and tips party safely this Mardi Gras, ReachOut has a Mardi Gras toolkit of articles, info graphics and videos here!
We are looking forward to hearing more from our community about how you show LGBTQIA+ pride in the lead up to Mardi Gras!
Okay prepare for me nerding out about folk music, but I grew up in the folk tradition, so pride, for me, means songwriting and performing and hoping the things I write outlive me (though I don't plan on kicking the bucket soon, don't worry!)
What I've learnt from my childhood with folkie parents is that folk music is always changing, and new traditions are being created constantly! A good example is the song "Faithful Departed", a song which has squeezed itself into the repertoire of lots of Irish folk musicians, including Moving Hearts, Christy Moore and Dónal Lunny, but originated with a Dublin punk band called The Radiators From Space.
Another great example is Eric Bogle, who's songs like The Green Fields of France and And The Band Sang Waltzing Matilda (both written in the 70s) are routinely covered by folk musicians alongside songs that are centuries old!
So I try to write songs of my own that reflect our community's history, and talk about gay love, and gender, and homophobia, and transphobia and the like, as well as trying to folkifying (is that a word) songs I think need them, such as an acoustic cover of "Smalltown Boy" by Bronski Beat or "Under Clery's Clock", a gay love song also by The Radiators which I can't find chords for right now and I'm having a hard time transposing! (I'm posting it below it's absolutely amazing because it really needs a "Faithful Departed" type folk reawakening)
Also folk music is a great genre to play with and make fit all sitches and scenarios! Cara Dillon's cover of "Black is the Colour" is great in that she doesn't change pronouns from the originally male narrator, so it's basically a lesbian love song! And I've always wanted to do a cover and change the pronouns to he and make it gay!
The folk tradition is about storytelling, first and foremost, and we as a community have a lot of stories to tell, so I've always thought it was my duty as a gay trans man, folkie and songwriter to do my part and folkify our narratives and queerify the folk tradition.
I dunno, sounds a little dumb, but its my ultimate dream!
@trashconverters That's amazing! I love reading your posts about music, it's obvious how passionate you are. I think folk music is a beautiful way to channel your pride and express your story. I'll be sure to check out all the titles in this post, your recommendations are always spot on 
Loving this thread! @queenP
I agree it's so wonderful to celebrate being a part of the LGBTQ community no matter how you identify or what stage you are in self-acceptance and coming out 😄
@trashconverters this put a massive smile on my face, adding a dash of folk is beyond epic in my humble opinion 😄
How do you show LGBTQIA+ pride?
I'm still in the closet in more than one area of my life, but I worked hard to accept myself so heck yeah I'm showing some pride! (quietly :P)
I go to LGBT events with my queer friends, which is always rad!
I do worry about outing myself at work and at uni a fair bit, but I have pride and equality pins on my backpack bc i wanted to show support for the marriage equality postal vote. It's actually really cool because a coworker saw them and felt comfortable coming out to me because of them, even though she didn't know I'm gay. It was so nice and she's the first coworker (and probs the last in this particular job) who I came out to (her response: thank god! someone else! 
)
I'll be honest sometimes i show pride by not letting external prejudices shape how i behave (doesn't always work *sigh*). I dress how i dress and sometimes i'm a complete stereotype - don't care mate.
Looking forward to seeing how everyone else shows their pride!
@ecla34 I love the feeling of wearing little equality pins! I remember when I first came out, I was still really uncomfortable with showing pride visibly, so I got a pair of 'Vote Yes' earrings as a first step and it felt like a huge victory. It seems like such a small thing, but it can feel so powerful!
I'm so glad you were able to have that experience at work, it's nice to have that kind of support.
Loving these responses!
