Pride Parade Boston

I took my kids to the annual Pride parade yesterday in Boston.  If you've never been to Pride, I have never had a more wonderful, celebratory experience than the Gay Pride Parade.  It's tame, compared to some other states' parades, but that also makes it very family friendly.  And what families there are!! There is no difference in a Pride parade between same-sex, hetero-, black, white, green, whatever, couples or families.  There is just love and acceptance (well, not counting that one guy holding the Jesus destroyed sodomy sign), and it's a beautiful thing to see.  

Rose is too young to know what everyone is marching for.  She's too young to know that many of the people marching fight a battle every day just to love who they love, or just to be who they are.  She doesn't look at a transgender girl and wonder why a "boy" is dressed in "girl clothes."  She doesn't look at two moms and see something unusual.  That's one of the reasons we go to Pride, because someday the two moms she sees could be her older sister and her sister-in-law.  She will see the love that flows between them and know that it's the same love that Momma & Daddy share, it's the same love that her brother and his spouse share, it's the same love that she will find one day.  

   Equality is serious business.

For now, she sees a big party.  She claps, she smiles, she cheers.  My hope is that as she grows older, she will clap and cheer for the freedom to love who you want and be who you want, instead of just the music, balloons, and bright costumes.

   Rose is an equal opportunity clapper