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LGBT Life Center

Empowering the LGBTQ and HIV communities since 1989.

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Home / Archives for pride

pride

What is PRIDE in my life?

June 6, 2022 by LGBT Life Center Leave a Comment

Community Guest Post by Nichole Pritchard

Pride Month 2022

For decades, the LGBTQ+ community has lived in the shadows often leading a double life – pretending to be straight to maintain their jobs and community ties and only safe to be themselves with their close-knit group of friends and family. Being their authentic selves was against the law and punishable by fines, jail, beatings and in too many cases, death. Decades later, most people assume that these archaic beliefs are in the past but for so many living around the world it is still the present.

I came out when I was 18. It never occurred to me that my teenage feelings of loneliness or not belonging had a reason. The day I finally admitted to myself that I was a lesbian was a day of FREEDOM. But a hidden freedom. Would my parents still love me? Would my best friend still consider me such? Would my siblings support me? Would I still be Gramma’s baby girl? It was TERRIFYING to think their feelings about me would change for something out of my control. The juxtaposition of feeling so free, while also being so scared at the same time is something so many have experienced yet no one wishes to feel. The term “in the closet” is the best metaphor in that, you stay trapped in this box of “normal” with small glimpses of light as you slowly crack that door to be yourself, when deemed safe, until one day you can’t breathe any longer in that closet and you throw that door open and realize you don’t want other people’s normal you want to live YOUR normal.

I started that crack in the door with telling my dad. Regardless of the unknown, he loved me. He accepted me. He was proud of me. That ended abruptly 3 months later when he died of a heart attack in my arms at 44. My mom struggled to truly accept me, and we went a lot of time not talking much at first but over the years she has evolved and is now my one of my biggest supporters. I told my best friend while walking down the street. We were stopped at a light, and I just said it out loud. I was, consumed with worry that she would reject our friendship. I figured if she did not accept me, I could just run. There was zero reasoning for thinking she would but life in a closet is suffocating and self-deprecating. You feel like it is you, alone, and everyone is outside it with fingers pointed at you. When I told her, her only concern was that I did not tell her earlier so she could have loved me through it. Months later she would also be the first person to sit in the middle of the street hugging me while I collapsed and grieved my dad’s passing. 25yrs later and 2000 miles apart, she remains as integral part of my life as she did then. She has saved me more times than I can count. My siblings had differing reactions. My sister loved me and harassed me about it in a sisterly way to laugh and move forward. My four brothers differed. Two loved me through it, one refused to accept me (still to this day) and one has shown support but also used it as an attack when useful. My Gramma, as a Jehovah Witness, struggled but never stopped loving me and to this day I am PROUDLY still Grammas little girl. Overall, my support system was established. I started to gain confidence in who I was. I started to realize there was nothing wrong with me and I felt truly alive after years of hiding my true self.

Over the years I have continued this journey. Every time I meet someone, I must come out again. I met my other best friend 20yrs ago and when I did, I lied to her and said I had a husband until I felt safe. Now she lives close to me, is the godmother to my kids, and the best friend everyone deserves. I had to deal with fear of rejection, identity crisis of what kind of lesbian I was and with social media where so many from high school seemed to just want to prove, “I KNEW IT! I KNEW YOU WERE GAY!” Congrats. Delete. So many more celebrated me.

Having PRIDE in who you are, as a LGBTQ+ person, takes time for most. I have worked most of my adult life to find that PRIDE and be true to me. When I met my wife, it really opened my world of belonging and love. She loved me for ME. She was attracted to me! She was proud to be with me. She gave me courage to open myself to who I was. But mostly, she also became my fiercest protector. With my short hair and masculine choice of clothes, I was identified a mile away. I still am. So, the stares, the comments as I walk by, the sneers, and the attacks still come my way from time to time. When alone, I smile, stay kind, and push through, believing that attacking back gives them fuel for their hatred of people like me but showing kindness back might just open their hearts. However, it still punctures my heart a little each time it happens. My wife feels protective whenever we are in public and something happens. She will have none of it and will call you out the second your gaze lasts too long or your snickers are caught by her ear. She makes me feel safe.

With work, it is and always will be an evolution. Inclusion and equality are things that continue to grow in the corporate world. The first time I decided to be me and wear a shirt and tie for an interview, I was so nervous because I worried if being myself would cost me the job. Today I wear it with PRIDE and feel good about how I look and dress. Being part of the LGBTQ+ community, I always worry when I tell someone I’m gay.  Will I be accepted? Could this hurt me or my family? Those questions will linger until our world is fully accepting of the LGBTQ+ community and adopting of equality. We are not there yet but we are slowly gaining ground.

Now with 5 kids and many experiences under my belt, I navigate PRIDE, as a mom. Helping my kids figure out how to handle being questioned or made fun of for having two moms is especially heartbreaking. It feels like we are constantly explaining how our family unit is not much different than others. My kids need to feel loved and supported in their journey and their relationships in life. Lastly, we strive to instill PRIDE in our children- in who they are and the knowledge that their moms will always be in their corner and they know, without a doubt, that they will always be accepted for exactly who they are without reservation.

I have now been “out” for 24 years. My PRIDE in myself and my place in this world is constantly evolving but I no longer hide in the closet. My love for people and helping others is who I am regardless of who I marry. My sense of maternal instinct is both an annoyance and a benefit to those around me, regardless of which letter of LGBTQ+ I belong to.

PRIDE to me is a celebration of the strength, determination, love, and pain that I have been through to get to where I am today. It is knowing I will still experience all those feelings, but this life is worth the journey. The friendships I have, the family I cherish, the wife I adore and the children I love unconditionally, are the PRIDE I get to feel every day. It is my PRIDE that gives me the strength to continue to advocate for myself and others. Be you. Love you. Celebrate you. Accept you. Have PRIDE in you. And until you do, I and millions of others, have PRIDE for you.

Filed Under: Advocacy, Bisexual, Gay, Identity LGBTQ, Lesbian, Transgender Tagged With: Bisexual, Hampton Roads, Identity, LGBTQ, pride, transgender

Pride Fest Market @ Sattvic Space

June 1, 2022 by LGBT Life Center

We are super excited to host this Pride month celebration as we kick off our outdoor markets at Sattvic Space!
On June 11th from 11-5pm we will be holding a Pride Fest Market honoring our Hampton Roads LGBTQ+ communities!
There will be Vendors! Presenters! Performers! Games! Music! Yoga! Sound Healing! Food Trucks! Kid’s Activities! And More!
Register here: https://forms.gle/Ucv6Ww4SVp1cAj9B8
to participate!
This event is FREE and open to the public. A portion of proceeds will go to local LGBTQ+ supporting organizations!
We will see you there! 🕉
https://www.facebook.com/events/5041549505963581

Tagged With: market, pride, yoga

Hampton Roads Pridefest

May 27, 2022 by LGBT Life Center

City of Norfolk Government
Decorum Furniture
Ferguson Enterprises
WHRO
Chrysler Museum of Art
Sentara Healthcare
Present:
PrideFest 2022
FREE + OPEN TO ALL
www.hamptonroadspride.org
“Be U in 22”
#beuin22
#hrpride #PrideFest
34 years of Pride in Hampton Roads
Saturday, June 25, 2022
Noon – 8PM
Tito’s Handmade Vodka
Jack Daniel’s Whiskey
The nation’s only Pride Boat Parade!
PrideFest is the largest annual LGBT festival in Virginia and the City of Norfolk’s largest one-day festival!
Beyond Main Stage entertainment, enjoy Family Fun & Games, Club PrideFest, and a History and Equality area!
PrideFest combines entertainment, vendors, and fun activities for all ages. PrideFest attracts thousands of visitors and brings together local residents, families, community leaders, civic organizations, and businesses to unite the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) and allied communities in support of inclusion, dignity and equality of all people.
Accessibility: Town Point Park is fully accessible to individuals with disabilities. ASL interpretation will be provided from the Main Stage.
Prohibited Items:
– Alcohol
– Glass Containers
– Illegal Weapons
– Lasers
– Fireworks
– Face Masks
– Dogs/animals (service dogs/animals ONLY)
*All bags and coolers are subject to search*

Tagged With: Hampton Roads, pride

Suffolk Library Pride

May 27, 2022 by LGBT Life Center

Celebrate Pride month and the LGBTQIA+ community with SPL at Parking Lot Pride! There will be informational tables, local resources, including the LGBT Life Center and PFLAG, grab-and-go activity kits, open mics to share your stories, and food trucks. Parking Lot Pride welcomes all ages.

If inclement weather or other circumstances arise, the event will be moved into the lobby at North Suffolk Library. Please check Facebook for updates.

https://suffolkpubliclibrary.libcal.com/event/8962193

Tagged With: pride, suffolk

Pride in the ‘Peake

May 27, 2022 by LGBT Life Center

We are so excited to announce that Chesapeake will finally have its own Pride event this June! Presented by the LGBT Life Center and sponsored by Amber Bowmer Freelance and Jeremy Rodden for Office, we bring you: Pride in the ‘Peake at Judge Eileen Olds Courtyard Park (next to City Hall)!
Why does Chesapeake need a Pride event? Because we wanted to make sure that LGBTQIA+ individuals and families knew they had a safe and inclusive home *in* their city, and that they don’t have to go to a neighboring city for that type of acceptance.
Stay tuned to this page as new details come out fast and fierce. Our volunteers are working hard to put this together under short notice and we can always use more hands on deck to make this work.
Note: This will be a 100% free to the public, vendor-free event (minus Food Trucks, of course!). We will have local organizations on hand to share resources, support, and love all day long, plus family-friendly activities! Again, stay tuned!

Tagged With: chesapeake, LGBTQ, pride

PFLAG Pride Picnic

May 27, 2022 by LGBT Life Center

We are excited about the 2nd annual
(PFLAG PRIDE PICNIC)
Join us at Mt. Trashmore (shelter #3)
Bring your picnic 🌈🧺
Dessert will be provided
🏳️‍🌈🖤🤎❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
🏳️‍⚧️💙💗🤍💗💙
RSVP PFLAGhr@gmail.com

Tagged With: pflag, picnic, pride

Pride in the ViBe

May 27, 2022 by LGBT Life Center

Last year’s Pride in the ViBe was a HUGE success so we are doing it again!
The Chesapeake Bay Distillery is teaming up with the Creative ViBe District to celebrate all things Pride in our community!
There will be live music, Chesapeake Bay Distillery drinksssss (yes – drinksssss!), food trucks, local Pride-loving artisans and vendors, lots of rainbows and even some surprises!
The Chesapeake Bay Distillery is proud to be an ally and to support an inclusive community. All proceeds from the event will go to support local LGBTQ work, including that of the LGBT Life Center, Love is Love Tidewater, Hampton Roads Pride, and the Creative ViBe District!
** Family Friendly – All Ages Welcome **
** Free Parking at the Virginia Beach Convention Center **

Tagged With: LGBTQ, pride, vibe district

A Night of a Thousand Moira Roses @ O’Connor Brewing Co.

May 27, 2022 by LGBT Life Center

“When one of us shines, all of us shine!” That is the mantra for our first annual Night of a Thousand Moira Rose’s! Inspired by the release of our own Moira Rose berry-infused kettle sour and in honor of Pride month, we invite one and all to come and rock your best Moira! (or David, Alexis, Johnny, or whatever Schitts Creek character you prefer)
Party starts at 6pm and our Moira costume contest starts at 7:30 (please pre-register at the link below). Note: you do not need to fill our form if you are not participating in the costume contest.
There will be prizes, decor and photo ops galore! DJ Starfish will be spinning the jams while wine, champagne, and OBC’s finest brews will be flowing all evening for this ah-mazing event. This is a free and public event. A portion of the proceeds from this event will benefit The LGBT Life Center of Hampton Roads.
So bring your best Moira with the “vigor of a wartime radio operator!” Any and all ideas welcome (pet Moiras, mini-Moiras, night-time look Moira, day-time Moira). Just remember, More is Moira!
Registration Link: https://oconnorbrewing.com/pages/moria-registration

Tagged With: benefit, LGBTQ, pride, schitt's creek

Family Pride Night @ Chesapeake Public Library

May 27, 2022 by LGBT Life Center

Celebrate Pride Month with your family.  Connect with community resources and vendors.  Tie-dye some socks to take home or bring a shirt with you, enjoy delicious treats, and make arts and crafts.

More info: https://events.chesapeakelibrary.org/event/6604960

Tagged With: family, night, pride

Portsmouth Pride Fest – A Community Festival

May 26, 2022 by LGBT Life Center

Free Entry & Fun for the Whole Family!
Join us in beautiful Olde Towne Portsmouth at Festival Park for a celebration of LOVE benefiting several non-profits in the area. This year’s charitable focus is on mental health and wellness in the LGBT and wider Portsmouth Community. Let’s party and support a great cause right next to the Portsmouth Waterfront and the Atlantic-Union Bank Pavilion!
HEADLINER: Tweet
HOSTS: Kbana Blaq & Blaine Stewart
ACTS: Drag Queens, Mz. Drumz, Teens with a Purpose, Jayye Michael, and Myra Smith – “The Phoenix and the Phoenix Band”!
​
Music & Entertainment
Food & Drink
Vendors
Non-Profits
Kids’ Activities
Dog Play Area
Parking at City Garages throughout Olde Towne. Vendor/Entertainment/VIP parking only at City Hall.
More info: https://www.portsmouthprideva.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/events/5106180752754994/.

Tagged With: portsmouth, pride

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