Mormons at San Francisco Pride 2013

We’re having a crazy heat wave here which knocked the power out yesterday. Not only was it awful because I was entertaining Atti in the heat with no relief, but because I’ve been dying to share these pictures with you! Sunday was San Francisco Pride and I walked in it again with Mormons for Marriage Equality. Once again it was the highlight of my year, but this time it was even better because I brought family and friends.

Atti gets easily overwhelmed with crowds and noise, so I was worried about how he’d fare. I came stocked with juice boxes and granola bars and he powered through like a champ. He not only got through it, but he actually had a blast, starting with playing in the wind on the train platform.

This was Atti’s first time riding a train and it just happens to coincide with his newfound love of anything with wheels. He was thrilled to actually be inside one of the vehicles he spends so much time playing with.

Once we got there he was a little more apprehensive, but he was a big fan of the rainbow pinwheels I taped to his chair. With ribbons down the handles and woven through his wheels, he was a major hit with the crowd.

And the crowd was so supportive it made tears leak from my eyes through the whole event. This was probably my favorite reaction, caught totally by accident. Open mouthed disbelief. We got a lot of thank you’s, lots of tears and hugs, lots of people cheering us on. Honestly, I take so much heat throughout the year that I drank it all up like water. Sometimes straight people participating in Pride is controversial – it’s not for us, it’s about gay people – but I felt that need. I needed to be proud of my beliefs, my work, the love I have for this community. I needed to celebrate it and be celebrated in return and I got that. It was so beautiful.

Atti was completely tuckered out on the way home but he had the greatest day. We told him that this was a special day to celebrate love and all the new families that could love each other the way we loved each other. Our battle cry was, “Hooray for love!”

Last year was incredibly moving, but being there with my family so shortly after the Supreme Court allowed gay marriages in California was poignant and historic. I kept looking at Bear, and running my hands through Atti’s hair, and thinking of all the people who get to have what we have, and weeping. And being so so grateful that I could join in the celebration.

5 thoughts on “Mormons at San Francisco Pride 2013

  1. Looks like a fun day out and a very important topic. Belfast Pride march is next Saturday. Let's hope for a sunny day so that we can celebrate love.

  2. Thank you so much, for having the courage of your faith and convictions. This post just made me cry. I personally think it is SUPER important to have allies march in the parade, especially people from various faith communities. It feels good to be supported by folks you would not necessarily expect it from! I found your sign particularly poignant. THAT is what made me cry. I stumbled upon your blog as a fellow crafter & DIY-er. I have worked with LGBTQ youth in Tucson, AZ; the NYC metro area; and the Bay Area where we now call home. Keeping our youth safe, because they are particularly vulnerable, is near & dear to my heart. My wife and I are an interracial lesbian couple who raised her little sister (who is now a 26 year old wife & mother herself!), and we are getting ready to have a big party with both sides of the family coming to celebrate our 5 year wedding anniversary (just before Prop 8 passed), AND our 20 year relationship anniversary. Incidentally, I also relate to your comments about raising a child with a disability! Some days, most days, you have to be SuperMom and advocate, and fight the red tape, and be extra diligent & extra patient at the same time. But some days, it is OKAY to be just the "good enough" Mom! I hope my comment has lifted you up a little bit, as I know how hard it *all* can be. Your work is appreciated, and makes a difference in the world. Take care of yourself. Blessings, Lola

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