Years ago, I proudly displayed my pride flag in the window of my Capitol Hill apartment. Hanging pride flags in the gayborhood is as anodyne as an event poster taped on a street lamp, but for me, it was momentous. It reflects my identity and my values, and I brightly shined them in the public’s eye. That visibility meant I was done hiding.
And yet, I paused with trepidation before putting it up on my house. There are no other pride flags hanging on the streets that surround me, and as a new homeowner in my single-family neighborhood, I worried about how my neighbors would react. I feel welcomed in this community, but what if this heightened queer visibility foments negative consequences?
I thought about the generations who navigated their lives with calculated discretion, lest their visibility invite their pain. The casual mention of a date could have cost their career. A drink at the bar could have led to their violent arrest. It’s enraging to recall the brutality and injustice faced not long ago by those who fought for their existence, allowing me to bring my life out of the closet today. It’s even more unnerving how extant this oppression is around the world. Even today, people would rather I be beaten, assaulted, and dead instead of holding hands with the man I love.
Ignorance and hatred is lethal.
It has been fifty years since the Stonewall Riots, and I can’t forget how important it is to fight back. Silence and complicity are pernicious. Pride month for me is as much about celebration as it is about honoring the past and fighting for our future—about continuing its origin as a protest for respect without respectability politics.
And so I acknowledged my trepidation, then hung my flag on my house. Fear should not dictate my actions—even for something as simple as this.
Thank you to the brave souls who years ago risked their everything, all so that today we can be anything. I’ve tasted freedom outside of the closet and I can’t let that go away. Today, I celebrate. Today, I continue the fight. Today, I proudly display my pride flag.