Pride Message What’s Pride Got to Do with It? Pride celebrations are still vital for gay liberation by Candace Gingrich Photo by Charles Anderson for HRC

A few months ago, I received an e-mail from someone who wanted to know what "pride" had to do with the GLBT community. Specifically, he wanted to know why it was necessary to hold public pride celebrations. It was enough, he said, to be gay; why did we have to put it on display? Now, I’ve heard this view thousands of times before from straight people, but this guy was gay himself.

His questioning made me realize that there are probably many GLBT people who came of age in the post-Stonewall era and perhaps don’t appreciate the symbolism and function of pride celebrations. Because many of us can be "invisible" as GLBT people if we choose, these events are our community’s unique opportunity to display our diversity, to show the public–and each other–who we are. They are also an occasion to acknowledge our successes and plan for the work that is yet to be done. We have come a long way since the 1969 uprising at the Stonewall Inn, but not so far that we have outgrown the need to show and experience our collective pride.

As manager of the Human Rights Campaign’s National Coming Out Project, I understand the power and importance of the GLBT community’s visibility–both for straight Americans and for ourselves. From a political standpoint, this visibility is crucial; there are still local and national elected officials who think they have no gay constituents, for example. While a politician may be most affected by a lobby visit or handwritten letter, she will not be able to ignore a successful pride event in her own district. Some of them will even join us–a far cry from 30-plus years ago. Our visibility is also a powerful weapon against those who would rather we remain silent and invisible, from those who commit hate crimes to religious political extremists.

Pride celebrations also serve as a crucial entry point into the GLBT community for many newly out or questioning people. As omnipresent as we may think we are, gay people can be hard to find if you don’t know where to look. I still remember my first pride festival–it was the late ’80s in Harrisburg, Pa. I marveled at how many people were there, and wondered, Where have you been all my life? I reveled in the people watching, playing Hacky-Sack and just feeling at home. For many people, pride is the only time of the year they can don their rainbows, display public affection, and feel safe. Until we achieve the America that the Human Rights Campaign mission envisions–where "gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Americans can be open, honest, and safe at home, at work, and in the community"–pride celebrations are still important.

Of all the reasons I can think of to attend pride, the most valuable to me is the feel-good factor. Working for the Human Rights Campaign, I experience daily the ups and downs of our fight for equality. When a local ordinance fails or another elected official spouts some antigay rhetoric, it takes a little out of me–as it doubtless does for many in our community. Then the local pride celebration comes along, with a chance for renewal and reinvigoration, and the chance to feel open and free. We have much work to do but we can’t forget to stop, remember our roots, and be grateful for those who got us where we are today. Enjoy pride to its fullest, and take from it the energy to fight the good fight with a new spirit.

The daughter of former House Minority Leader Newt Gingrich, Candace Gingrich is the manager of the Human Rights Campaign’s National Coming Out Project.