Since I reside close to Atlanta, and this weekend is Atlanta’s Gay Pride Celebration, I thought it would be good to give a little lesson in being Queer, so kids come sit around and lets get some gay facts.

First of all let me just say I am not sure why Atlanta is having their pride in October, the common month to celebrate is June, reason….come on anyone know? Okay the reason is a little disturbance in NYC in a small little bar called Stonewall. It is June,1969, there were no gay bars, but there were bars that were gay friendly, but the harassment of the patrons was common. On the 28^th the police chose to do yet another raid on a bar that was known to cater to the gay establishment. Well we were queer, there, and we weren’t going to take shit any more, we fought back, causing what is now known as the Stonewall riots. It didn’t stop there for days after protests erupted throughout the city we made ourselves seen. The closet doors were open and we were running out screaming. Within six months, two gay activist organizations were formed in New York, concentrating on confrontational tactics, and three newspapers were established to promote rights for gays and lesbians. Within a few years, gay rights organizations were founded across the U.S. and the world. On June 28, 1970, the first Gay Pride march took place in Los Angeles and New York commemorating the anniversary of the riots. Similar marches were organized in other cities. Today, Gay Pride events are held annually throughout the world toward the end of June to mark the Stonewall riots, well except for Atlanta.

I tried to bring out of the closet the whole beginning of the word “gay” but alas all I could find was that in the early 20^th century it was used as happy, then POW, some homosexual was sashaying down the street and someone exclaimed he is sooooo gay, and it stuck, okay this might not be historically correct, but it is my version and I’m sticking to it.

Now what about faggot, well this isn’t such a “gay” beginning. It seems that along with witches, homosexual men also suffered the fate of Joan of Arc. What started the fire was a bundle of kindling that was called…..come on students….fags. This is not to be construed to why we use the term flaming.

Sisters I haven’t forgotten you, the word Dyke, no girls it wasn’t because we stuck our finger in a wet hole, no, there are two theories one being it was derived from the famous anti Roman, Boudicca, pronounced, bou-dyke-ah. The second theory comes from, the word dike, it first appeared in 1710 in a British newspaper about cross-dressing pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read. One editorial euphemistically referred to their cross dressing with a French word, dike, which refers to men’s clothing. These terms have been used by the the hate moguls to send the spears of hatred into our very souls and to oppress us, and some still allow these terms to limit them but I, like others, have embraced them and use them as my battle cry.

Of course there is the infamous rainbow flag, how many of you sport it on your cars, suv’s, boxers or thongs, do you know how we adopted such a colorful representation. In 1978 the Gay rights movement was in full swing, in San Francisco the movement wanted something that would stand out, something that we could wave proudly, hence a gentleman by the name Gilbert Baker designed the flag offering a colorful and optimistic alternative to the more common pink triangle symbol. Today it is recognized by the International Congress of Flag Makers.

Okay if you have gotten past pink and triangle I would like to enhance your knowledge a little further, the pink and black triangle originated during the Nazi concentration camp period. The concentration camps used a badge system to identify the individuals crime. Gay men were thrown into concentration camps because homosexuality was deemed a sex crime, so basically they were lumped in there with rapist, pedophiles , etc. the identification used was the pink triangle, the black triangle was given to lesbians which also represented any and all asocial groups. Now this being said, lesbians were thrown in with the mentally challenged, mmmm sounds familiar, you must be crazy if you feel a man is not needed.

Of course as much as the gay community is known for its colorful attributes we also just love labels.

There are: Butch, stone butch, soft butch, boi, femme, lip stick, top, bottom, futch, chapstick lesbian, this one I must research deeper, sporty dyke, Bi Curious and are you ready, blue jean femme.

I recently had the wonderful privilege to spend time with a group that have embraces themselves as Queer. They include Transsexuals, Lesbians, Fairies, Gay men, Bi Curious, and those who don’t fit into any real label. Now this is an all inclusive community! The land is called Ida and is located in Tennessee not far from Nashville. They have a music festival that lasts usually from a Wednesday, through Monday around the end of May first of June.

Like our flag we are a colorful and very prideful bunch. I know I give our sisters, who I feel take political correctness a little far, a hard time, but I have to say it is due to those lesbians and gay men who stood up and said we are here and not going anywhere that have paved the road to where in some states we can marry, we have laws passed to include us under the labor protection laws, it is becoming more common than not to find insurance companies giving domestic partnership benefits, it is beginning to be recognized that it is not okay to go out and bash a few queers. So I put this challenge to you, before the next time you place a flag upon your car, slide down to the Y, wave your hands in tha air dancing like ya just don’t care, read, know where you come from, know why you wear the symbols that hold high who we are, and the next time you are holding your dear ones hand walking down main street, take that moment to say, thank you to all those that made that simple jester okay.

Until next week, LIFE IS GRAND, breathe, and shine baby shine.