What does pride mean?
Pride can mean many things. To be proud of one's friends, to be satisfied with a work achievement or goal, to derive satisfaction from a personal goal or perhaps to take warmth from watching a loved one grow and develop.
Pride is a quality or state of being proud and we can attribute this to so many things in life…
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But what does pride mean to the community?
PRIDE is the promotion of the self-affirmation, dignity, equality, and increased visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer/questioning, asexual, non-binary, pansexual and all other identities under the umbrella acronym.
(photo timeline incomplete for 2023)
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Okay, so what does PRIDE mean to The BBB?
PRIDE to The BBB means not only standing by the general understanding that we love and accept you for being YOU, it means championing change for those who need it. Most of our crew are directly part of the queer community and those who don’t fall in the aforementioned acronym are firm allies.
We don’t just speak about the changes that need to happen, we shout it. We scream it.
At The BBB we want you to feel loved, to be able to come home each month and be exactly who you are, to feel comfortable in your exploration of yourself and to grow somewhere that will hold your hand with compassion and care, never forcing, always supporting. We want you to feel safe to ask questions, to take those tentative steps into the person you want to be or to continue to be supported in the person you are and find solace in knowing that every time you come home, we welcome you with open arms.
PRIDE to us means continuing to grow, to continue to learn and to listen to people affected by discrimination and to continue to use our voices to speak with you.
“That the Annual Reminder, in order to be more relevant, reach a greater number of people, and encompass the ideas and ideals of the larger struggle in which we are engaged—that of our fundamental human rights—be moved both in time and location” - The Homophile Action League Newsletter of January-February 1970
Our promise to you, the community this PRIDE is to continue to grow, to continue to be aware of the changes that need to happen, to continue to listen with an open heart to your struggles and to maintain a place of safety for the community so that you and we can grow together. To stand tall and to be PROUD of all that we are.
We are PRIDE.
(Photo original publication: “Gay is Angry,” protest poster, 1971. Artist: Juan Carlos y Nestor)
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