June is Pride Month and much has already been written about that. I saved a quote some time ago that just seems to fit during this month –
“It’s about waking up in the morning and saying that I’m worthy of love, belonging, and joy. It’s about engaging with the world from a place of worthiness.” — Brené Brown
Pride Month is about the rights of the LBGTQ+ communities. The right to live without fear of abuse and discrimination. The right to equal treatment under the laws. And the right to a peaceful existence.
Pride Month is also about worthiness and Brown’s quote captures quite well the worthiness that members of the LBGTQ+ community seek and deserve.
There will always be homophobic jerks in our society. Their anti LBGTQ+ discrimination s just one of the many prejudices that they display in their unhappy lives. Many are also racists, anti-Semitic and anti-Asian haters who see any and all who are not just like them as threats. They live sad and lonely lives imprisoned by their hate.
We should not have to have laws protecting various groups from discrimination in our society, but the sad fact is that without them the jerks would be free to be jerks and discriminate. We have seen that over and over in discrimination against people of color and against people of Asian descent (and many other groups).
There is still a long way to go to achieve the ultimate goals of acceptance and equal treatment of the LBGTQ+ community, but it is important that members of that community take Brown’s advice and engage the world from a place of worthiness. You are worthy of love, of belonging and of joy.
So, don’t feel sorry for yourself when you encounter the unfounded fears or unwarranted prejudices of the jerks of our society. Instead, feel sorry for them, because they just missed an opportunity to meet and interact with a really interesting person whom they might have come to love had they given you a chance. You are worthy. You belong. Be joyful and show your pride.
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