Happy Pride Month!!!

Listening to an ally who “gets it” and shouts it from the rooftops!

Jun 01, 2024

Naked Pastor says it better!

Strong, loud, consistently celebrating, and long-standing LGBTQIA+ Ally, David Heyward, the artist known as the “Naked Pastor,” captured my “why” for Pride this year better than I could. So, in addition to encouraging you to follow him and buy his art (I have), I’m reproducing this wisdom from today’s email newsletter:

Why Do We Celebrate Pride?
Why do we celebrate Pride? Why is it LGBTQ pride and not “straight pride”? Why is it such a big deal?
The answer is simple.
Pride is a celebration. It’s an affirmation of the dignity and existence of the LGBTQ+ community. In unity and individually, everyone deserves to exist as they are without fear or stigma. Pride is a fight to be seen, loved, and accepted as you are. So this month, we’ll be celebrating all the things that make us feel Pride. The courage, vulnerability, and tenacity of those who fought and continue to work hard towards a better world.
I think those things are a big deal, worthy of celebration.
This is our month to celebrate the strength and courage it takes to be your authentic self. Change isn’t always easy. And being your authentic self isn’t easy either. Especially when there are those trying to shut you out.
In our community, Pride is about starting conversations about authenticity and living unapologetically as yourself. Regardless of who you are, who you love, or what you believe in.
Pride is a celebration, but it's also a declaration that every person in the LGBTQ+ community deserves to feel seen and safe and be granted the same rights as everyone else. So, we’re going to shout it from the rooftops this month and every month until it becomes a reality.
Remember that you are seen, loved, and accepted exactly as you are. I’m proud of you every month and you should be too.
But, if you’re feeling excited for a month of thoughtfulness and conversation around LGBTQ+ issues and how we can make things better starting with ourselves and our own authenticity, see you in next week’s email!

I couldn’t have said it better.

Meet David Heyward/Naked Pastor

I recommend Heyward’s YouTube channel. (He doesn’t seem to get physically naked on camera, by the way. The best I’ve seen is a shirtless vid. Which I found quite pleasant. But don’t go expecting nudes—except in his “Sophia” series.)