Pride to me was instructing a Pride Ride in June of 2019, an expression I would have never envisioned myself doing even six months beforehand. I’ve always been open but also quiet about being gay. Being outwardly proud of it hadn’t been my style in years past, for fear of me being perceived as overly flamboyant or even worse, causing disruption or rejection.
But the magic of movement in a dark room riding bikes that go nowhere provided a space to discover parts of myself that I didn’t know existed, and that includes outwardly embracing being an outwardly gay, married man. A pride ride with a room full of people that supported each other was the embodiment of pride, support, and safety to explore one’s self, including the parts that may not have always been embraced or outwardly spoken about.
