Pink Robin, We’re a home for queer millennial voices—no fame, no filters, no perfection required. The stories of queer people are beautiful, bold, and deeply worth telling.
My wife Sam and I used to love NYC Pride events. We’d hit up pier parties and parades, and we’d drag friends on bar crawls through the West Village. It really felt like a celebration back then, as the country marched toward progress, both politically and culturally. But we never forgot that Pride was also a protest, a chance to live out loud, to demand to be seen and stand up for equal rights. Since having kids we have attended smaller, regional Pride celebrations around the Hudson Valley. Each year we told ourselves that our boys weren’t ready, it could be dangerous, maybe next year. But this year Pride feels more like a protest than ever, and it felt imperative that I attend this year’s “Rise Up: Pride in Protest” parade in New York City with my wife and kids.
Here’s why.
On the school bus this month a 5th grade boy told my 2nd grade son Quinn that he would hate him less if he took the Pride flag off his front door. Quinn came home from school one afternoon and quietly asked me to take down our flag. That same bully rallied a few other boys to tell Quinn and his friend that having two moms is weird. When our friend and neighbor brought it up at soccer practice a local dad told her that our town is “old school.”
And.
Nineteen states now ban transgender people from using bathrooms that match their gender identity in various government-owned buildings, including K-12 schools, according to the Movement Advancement Project.
And.
Conservative groups like Southern Baptists delegates are not only calling for the Supreme Court to reverse the Obergefell decision–which legalized same-sex marriage nationwide–but they have the financial power and political influence to pursue this fight.
And.
I could go on and on, but this year the writing is on the wall. Our safety is at stake. Bullies and bigots are emboldened. Our communities are in danger. We gotta show up for ourselves and each other. So on a hot and sunny NYC day that’s what the Abby fam did.
We took an early train into the city with our very own Erica Bacon and fam, and we made our way to the west side. Once we secured a shady front-row spot, we waited for the revelry to begin. Yes, it was hot. Yes, my kids got hangry and tired. Yes, the parade times were a mess, and everything was running late. But also, it was incredible to be lost in a mass of queer energy, to be cheering for a gay motorcycle gang, a trans gal sauntering topless down the street, and a few hard-bodies in assless chaps.
We met some cool people, including an awesome queer couple from Southern Utah, and we remembered what it feels like to be embraced. To recap: We had a very, very gay day. And we deserved it. Happy Pride!
Hey there. Laura Leigh here. I’m a wife, writer, mama, small business owner, podcast host, and the Head of Content here at Pink Robin.
I love supporting the queer community and bringing shared experiences to life.
If you have a story to tell, I’m here for it.
la********@***********op.com
Pink Robin, We’re a home for queer millennial voices—no fame, no filters, no perfection required. The stories of queer people are beautiful, bold, and deeply worth telling.
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