Metroline Online

photo by Chris Bosch

As the end of May quickly approaches, college and university students are graduating, high schools across New England are entering into their final weeks, and the sun seems to be shinning just a bit brighter day-by-day. With June drawing closer and closer and an entire month of Pride celebrations on the horizon, the rainbow at the end of the tunnel is in certainly in sight. Time to head to the mall or your favorite boutique, find those cute shorts or capris, stock up on T-shirts and tank tops, and get your ass into some hot pairs of sandals because summer is almost here! Helping out the economy never felt so fabulous.

I know I can’t wait for those endless sweaty days at the beach with friends (and plenty of beverages to cool down, of course), lazily walking downtown with nothing but time on my side, shopping or just reading a good book in a quiet corner overlooking the New Haven green; and don’t forget, pride festivities at every turn! Summer is that time when life slows down just enough for most of us to take it a little easier and pay a little more attention to the world around—to stop and (as a wonderful professor once told me) ask yourself: “Am I where my feet are?” With so much going through our heads non-stop everyday—everything from the bad economy, work responsibilities, classes, family, LIFE—it’s easy to be running a million things through your head at once, never actually taking the time to be in the present moment, to live in the now. Emerson once wrote that at some point “we wake and find ourselves on a stair; there are stairs below us, which we have ascended; there are stairs above us, many a one, which go upward and out of sight.” The staircase is our lives; if we are too concerned with our past decisions and too worried about our future plans, then we pay little mind to the ground we stand on. Summer is a good time to refocus yourself, to bring yourself back to equilibrium and seize the day!

Take a look around, especially, at what’s going on in our own community. As Bob Dylan once prophetically sang, the times they are a changin’; and this is becoming a reality more and more each day within the community. Recently, Maine and Vermont passed laws legalizing gay marriage, making New England officially the gayest region in the country! Additionally, Iowa just passed a law allowing same-sex marriages—for the first time pushing a winning battle into the middle of the country. And in a move that’s likely to cause a huge stir in Congress, the District of Colombia (DC) passed a bill that recognizes same-sex marriage performed in other states. Because it’s DC, they require that Congress approve all city laws; thus, gay marriage could quickly be thrust into national headlines once again.

While you should always remember your history—where our struggle began, how it has emerged, and how far we have come—this year we have a lot to be proud of. The strides we have made are huge and should be celebrated to the fullest; however, just remember that, while we have come far, there is still much to do. There are people working just as hard to take away our rights, as we are trying to gain them. Realize we’ve got a ways to go, but first go out and celebrate what we’ve accomplished and the success we’ve seen in recent months.

With that said, make sure to check out all the Pride festivities going on in and around the state. The summer kicks off with Hartford Pride on June 6th at Bushnell Park; because of a scheduling conflict this summer, New Haven Pride and its host, Gotham Citi Café, have graciously decided to move their New Haven Pride Block Party to Saturday August 1st, so don’t miss out! And of course, do not miss NYC Pride, being held as always on the last Sunday in June. These are just a few, but you know that June certainly doesn’t lack parties; other events include P-town celebrations and Disney’s Gay Days: the gayest place on earth. With all the options available, make sure to find some time, go out and celebrate, and just be GAY!