Thoughts after my first Pride Parade - The story behind it.

I come from a very religious family, we descend from Arabs, and so you can imagine how tough they are when it comes to freedom. I’ve been taught to think “correctly” when it comes to society, to act like everyone is watching and never going out of the ordinary. Since I was little, the straight line is the one I was meant to follow, the one I was taught that was right; growing up I realized there was more outside those walls that my family had built for us, all I had to do was cross the line. As I got older, it was pretty obvious I was different from the rest of them: I was the one who decided to take English and French lessons instead of Arabic (even thought my cousins and I were born in Venezuela, my grandparents were pretty strict about that); I was the one who didn’t like to wear makeup or heels, and preferred to play football. As you can assume by now… I grew up being the black sheep.

But that wasn’t everything I was different from my “well proper” family, at the age of 15 I realized I was more attracted to girls than I was from boys; imagine how hard it got since that day. When I moved out to go to college, life got easier: I was living as far away as possible from my family, which gave me a chance to experiment and get to know myself. Here I am, at the age of 25, I graduated and became a dentist, moved to Argentina and I love in every way it’s possible to love. Despite of how I was raised, I get to love each person for what they are. I love because it makes my soul happy. Can’t deny it, I’m still afraid of what people might think, what my family can say, but I look back to all the people who has fought for equality.. And think that none of that was in vane, because at the end: Love wins.

Last weekend was the Pride Parade in Buenos Aires, so I armed myself with courage and decided to go. Since I moved here, I have made a lot of great friends and I have even found love, but that’s another story. We got together and got ready with a lot of glitter to go and march. I believe the origin of this celebration dates back to June 28, 1969, when they took place known as Stonewall riots (New York), which marked the beginning of the struggle for gay rights. On the morning of that day, the New York police conducted a raid on the Stonewall pub, located in Greenwich Village. The gay community responded with a series of demonstrations that led to violent incidents. In the history of the homosexual movement in the United States, this episode marks the moment in which the gays began to fight against a whole system, legal, police and social that persecuted them.

Since that day everything started, many men and women had fought for equality and human rights, so that’s one the things that makes you feel proud. The Pride Parade is celebrated because we have to remember and pay tribute to all those who fought for us to enjoy the current rights, because being from the LGBT + collective in other countries is a reason for imprisonment and even death. Therefore, we must be the voice of those who can’t shout. It has to be celebrated to encourage those who can’t come out or show their gender identity in their country and tell them that they are not alone, that it’s okay, and that there’s nothing wrong with them. The parade must be celebrated to remember that it's only 37 years since WHO eliminated homosexuality of the list of diseases.

It was quite an experience I must say; I’ve never seen so many butts, boobs and hair in my life LOL. I get it, it’s about freedom... But I was too shy to stare. It was simple a party, music in every corner, colors wherever you see! There was joy in the air! They had some sort of drums at the start when the people started gathering, the rhythm they played made me want to dance, but I have two left feet so I didn’t. There was people of all ages in the Parade, there were mothers with their sons or daughters, fathers supporting their sons, brotheres and sisters, families were together. Was such a beautiful thing to watch, how much support some people have, despite some others are forced to love in the shadows. There was only joy in the air, the happiness was contagious, even the wildness.

In the Pride Parade the pride and individuality of each person is celebrated, each and every one of us has a color that belongs to him, no matter what we identify with, there is a color for everyone. A party of colors and costumes was what I enjoyed attending this march. Each person expressing their innermost being with pride and without fear, through costumes, makeup, outfits. All expressing comfort and courage with each step they take. For some more than others, it is nothing more than a simple party to which they can go to conquer some new lover, others may hope to find someone to go hand in hand in this adventure called life, but most important, is that all People who attend do so because they want to be seen and respected for what they are.

After a while, I forgot about my fears and started enjoying myself. Wasn't thinking about what people may say or what they could think, I just enjoyed the moment. At the end of the day, your resonance is the only authority, and your enthusiasm the motor and organizing principle of our life. You are the expression of desire. The desire for existence, wanting to experience itself through you. What gives rise to your existence is the enthusiasm, the love, of "all that Is", of the One, by looking at oneself from particular and unequaled eyes: those of our consciousness. That is the source of life: the excitement of the universe to be, to express, to be as only from ourselves can do.

I'm gonna end this post by saying that happiness is all that matters. We're all humans and must love and respect each other, at the end.. We're all made of flesh and bones. All we have is each other in this world. The key that reveals your unlimited potential is love, which is the one that liberates and heals you; although love-you know-starts with you. And there is no point in looking outside for what you do not give yourself. Always give yourself love as you think what you think, whatever you do or say what you say, you always deserve respect. We come to learn, to imagine, to grow as people and to become aware and we can make mistakes and rectify, but in no time we must stop respecting us. When we open our hearts, we begin to experience the infinite reserve of love that we have and appreciate how extraordinary it is to be alive and in possession of the most precious gift in the universe, which is life itself. Let's think about it for a moment, and now, at this moment, we have something more valuable than all the riches of the world...