Operation Save America attacks LGBTI Pride in Charlotte, North Carolina. They fight back.

Thu, May. 25, 2006

Why Pride Charlotte endures
Charlotte needs celebration where gays, lesbians feel safe and welcome

From Laura Witkowski, executive director of Charlotte's Lesbian & Gay Community Center:

A few weeks ago, I was a guest on Keith Larson's radio show on WBT after The Lesbian & Gay Community Center announced that we would be having a Pride celebration in Charlotte after all. I say after all, because shortly before our announcement, Operation Save America had held a press conference saying Pride had been "pushed into the closet" and claimed "victory" over the festival.

That is not the case. Pride Charlotte, a task force under the umbrella of The Lesbian & Gay Community Center, is excitedly and feverishly working on the festival, which will take place at Gateway Village on Saturday, Aug. 26.

The main question Mr. Larson asked me in one form or another was, "Why Pride?" From his perspective, it looks like one big party -- a chance for the LGBT community to have a great time together based strictly on sexual orientation. What, essentially, is the point?

Although sexual orientation is what brings us together, Pride is a chance to find a sense of unity and acceptance in a society where LGBT individuals still do not have access to the same rights as heterosexuals. Pride is a chance for LGBT people and allies to come together and celebrate the diversity of our community.

For many, Pride is one of the few times a year they feel safe and comfortable -- one of their only chances to truly be themselves. It is important to remember that regardless of the popularity of "Brokeback Mountain," "Will & Grace" and "The Ellen Show," LGBT individuals still run the risk of getting fired on the basis of our sexuality, are denied health care benefits for our partners because we cannot legally marry, and get no support from a Social Security system that we pay into should our life partner (who we cannot legally marry) pass away.

Despite opposition to the festival in the past, Pride Charlotte is too important and valuable to the community to just cave into the pressure and hassle of those who vocally oppose equal rights and acceptance for all Americans.

Charlotte is one of the fastest growing cities in this part of the country, and that growth means many younger professional people who are looking for a place they see as inclusive and accepting of all its community members. Richard Florida, author of "Rise Of The Creative Class," points out that people in this younger, hipper, professional group actively look at how LGBT folks are treated in cities they are considering relocating to and businesses they are looking at working for -- even if they're not gay themselves.

Charlotte is a business-driven city with an enormous potential for economic growth. Shutting out events like Pride and perpetuating spiritual violence on Charlotte's LGBT community isn't just mean-spirited and wrong; it's bad for the city.

I am proud to be a Charlotte transplant -- and I hope that in its own way, Pride Charlotte can bring that kind of pride into the lives of those who attend the festival to celebrate the best kind of freedom of all: freedom to live as you are.

For The Record offers commentaries from various sources. The views are the writer's, and not necessarily those of the Observer editorial board. For information about Pride Charlotte or the center, go to http://www.PrideCharlotte.com or http://www.GayCharlotte.com.
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/opinion/14661597.htm


Operation save America's press release:
http://www.operationsaveamerica.org/press/press/060327charlotte-pride-pushed-back-in-closet.htm