Happy Pride 2024 - It’s a journey, not a destination. part 1

"Jon is bringing his *friend* to the company lunch."

1998 - This is the way my boss introduced my gay co-worker's partner. 1998. This is the first time in my life (that I was aware of), that I had interacted with an openly gay person. I'm realizing to what extent they still weren't even able to be all that 'open'. I loved Jon as a co-worker. I loved our chats about our migraines and our love of Christopher Lowell's interior design show. But I know I held judgement.

I realized later that I wasn't being the kind of friend to him that I should have been and that I could have been. I had been raised to believe that this was a lifestyle choice he was making. I had been raised to believe that even if he was a wonderful and kind human being, I should think of him as damaged in some way.

I still hold some shame about that, and other interactions. I still am trying to be and do better. It was a long road to come out of the darkness of the bigotry that I was raised with. I know I will fight that and my other biases forever no matter how educated or open I become.

I do have hope, though. I hope that others who are still in that mind frame will read this and realize they don't have to stay the same.



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This month for Pride I am sharing some of the stories about my journey. This is not easy. I hope it will help others understand that we are not all in the same place and that we can all grow.
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#HappyPride #ItsAJourney #ContinuousImprovement