FROM THE EDITOR
"Pride is everything and every day."

As I sit down to write this letter about Gay Pride, I’ve had in my mind the sudden death of Maria Minicucci, the beloved and involved member of our queer community. Also Pete Martinez, who crafted loving memorials to countless of our lovers and friends who died from AIDS, and who died himself in March after a brief battle with liver cancer.

If you’re going to pose the question "What is Pride?" I just can’t think of a better answer than Maria and Pete. They both had reached that level of self-comfort that they were leaders just by joyously being themselves. Maria sitting across from her spouse Deb Murphy at the community center, gleefully leading a discussion on the fulfillments of femme-butch relationships. Pete grandly orchestrating a Thanksgiving day dinner for AIDS patients at Bering.

Our movement comes out of love–the freedom to love–but it must have its deep roots in our relaxed, clear, happy love for ourselves. Respect for self comes before even caring for others. That’s where Pride comes in.

Pride is a continuum, from the mostout and proud activist leaders in our community to the most hesitant and scared ruralteenager just realizing something is different about her or him. And funny, sometimes the most courage comes from those who are just beginning. Pride is an encircling concept, for it includes all of us and speaks to us where we are.

Our Pride Month’s theme is "Embrace Diversity." (This theme so speaks to the tenor of our times that when the Pride Committee suggested it to InterPride, the international Pride organization, it was pronounced the theme for 2001 Pride worldwide. Way to go, Pride Committee!)

Not only do we embrace with pride the transgender and the bisexual into the gay and lesbian movement, not only do we embrace the many diverse ethnic heritages, not only do we embrace women and men, young and old, queer and conservative–but Pride also embraces the diversity of where we are on the path to claiming and loving ourselves. Many are still scared–but the pride and love of those who have gone before can lift up those who are coming out now. Pride can seep down like water into sun-baked soil–and we can do this for each other.

So Pride isn’t just a week or a month. Pride is everything and every day. With leaders like Pete and Maria, it is constantly blooming anew in backwater high schools and straight-laced corporations and everywhere we find our diverse community. Which is everywhere–and we’re proud of it. –Ann Walton Sieber