Morning Update: 06/01/2024

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!

Pride Month is here! Yay! It’s time to celebrate all my favorite people! I love Pride Month and all the wonderful things that come with it. No, I’m not able to participate in all the activities because, you know, cancer sucks and I have no immune system. That doesn’t mean I don’t support them and would definitely be right out there with them celebrating who they are and the rights they deserve as humans. I don’t give a fuck what anyone else says, the people you’ll meet at Pride events are some of the most loving and caring souls on the planet.

As the partner/parent/ally of more LGBTQ+ people than I care to count, I love seeing them flaunt their true selves, fly their true colors, and express themselves as individuals. I also find myself being aggressively protective of them and their rights. I am deeply disturbed by the direction that ultra-right-wing conservatives have taken against the rights of people I love and care about, especially trans people. Let me be very clear about this: If you’re human, you’re human and you inherently have all the rights of every other human on the planet regardless of how you may present yourself, who and how you love, how you identify, or how you relate to the public in general. There’s no room for argument on this. As has been said over and over and over and over again, human rights are not a pie that we carve up into pieces. Acknowledging the rights of someone else does not take away anyone else’s rights.

One of the more telling headlines I’ve seen this morning came from a Reuters poll showing that the Orange Felon’s supporters are less likely to have a college degree. No, this isn’t surprising. For the past eight-plus years, we’ve observed the lack of critical thinking skills that allow one to justify supporting someone who not only is a bad politician, but a rather nasty person as a whole. However, it also explains how these same people take a combative and pugnacious stand against LBGTQ+ rights. They were fed a limited story growing up and they don’t know how to see that story for the myth that it is. They are cocooned in their own little make-believe world and not only do they not know how to break free, they don’t want to be part of reality and wish that everyone would stop trying to take them out of their snow globe.

Here’s the thing: stupid people elect stupid people. We’ve seen that for years and the situation has only gotten worse. Eisenhower Republicans were for expanding social services to the poor and needy, were for expanding the minimum wage, and for labor rights. That ended with Eisenhower, though. From Tricky Dick to Ronald Reagan and beyond, the party has become further and further removed from reality, from the needs of actual people, and supportive of rights for the rich and the white. These are the people who are actively trying to harsh the buzz of Pride Month with their own little “Day of …” bullshit in a vain attempt to deny the fabulousness that LGBTQ+ people bring to our society.

Celebrating Pride Month is a necessity, not an option. If we don’t stand up and let our voices be heard all month long, we’re likely to find those voices stifled by people who can’t form a complete sentence. Noise matters. Your presence matters. Participation matters. Visibility matters. We cannot allow ourselves and our friends to be dominated by people whose social and sexual education ended with Adam and Eve. That means making the most of Pride Month and then extending that to the rest of the year.

What may be most important in this election year is that straight(ish) people need to stand in defense of our LGBTQ+ family and friends. The ultra-right-wing conservatives think they can dominate by shouting louder, being more aggressive, storming state houses, city councils, and school board meetings, and just flat being mean. We have no choice this year but to shout them down, put them in the minority, and demand equity in human rights across the board.

Tipper loves running around the yard, and other places, in her furry costume. It’s hot, so she typically doesn’t stay in it for long, but when she does she never fails to get interesting looks. She wore the costume for a little while on race day. One father forcibly pulled his young daughter in the opposite direction. Why? Tipper wasn’t hurting anyone, she damn sure wasn’t trying to recruit anyone, and the only person to whom she might occasionally be a danger is her brother. I get the quizzical looks she gets because it’s an interesting costume, but she’s having fun. She’s more expressive when she’s wearing that giant monster head. She dances and interacts with people who she would never approach as herself. She loves seeing the smile on the faces of little ones when she waves those big furry paws at them.

Tipper has the same rights whether appearing as herself or in costume as everyone else on the planet. You respond negatively to her, you’re getting on my bad side real quick. No one’s asking you to put on a costume. Just give her and everyone else the space to be who they are, to joyfully express who they are, and to live peacefully in the same world as everyone else. That’s not too much to ask.

There’s rain moving in this morning. I forgot to take a pill last night so I’m hesitating to check my glucose. The pups and I may well spend the rest of the day in bed. The kids mowed the yard yesterday (with no small amount of arguing over who was doing their “fair” share) so that’s out of the way. Two of our three young trees are doing well and will appreciate the rain. Kat had a rough day yesterday, though, so I’m hoping today is a lot better, people are more friendly to her, and she can get a decent night’s sleep without cats waking her at 6:00 in the freakin’ morning. Zach, my eldest, is moving into a new apartment today, so that’s kind of a big deal. It will be interesting to see how often his mom and brothers visit.

Life comes at us fast, children. Celebrate every part of who you are while you can.