Dear Editor:
Pride is something we all share. Being LGBT is notin the same sense that heterosexuality is not.
Pride in itself doesn't pack much punch if it is not linked to something specific, that is, some human, identifiable trait. What pride of identity is conveyed in such popular LGBT phrases as "Pride Parade," "Pride Fest," "Pride Committee," "Pride Week" and "Pride Calendar?"
No other community so lays claim to the word "pride" and drops its identifying nomenclature. Quite to the contrary: There are Jewish Pride, Black Pride, Puerto Rican Pride, Indian-American Pride, Latino/a Pride and so on.
But, alas, at least here on my own home turf (Chicago) it's Pride Fest, Pride Parade, Pride this, Pride that. It's as if the word "pride" hijacked the gay community and put it in the closet. It's a great social cover-up. Pride in and of itself doesn't bother anyone. Gay Pride just might. And for those who are bothered, let it be a growing pain in their coming around to the fact of this world's diversity and not just its right to be, but its right to be loud and proudor, in this case, gay and proud.
Craig Teichen, Chicago
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