Take Your Kid To Pride
“I want to be a supportive parent, but I’m not so sure about going to Pride...”
I’ll start with a personal story: I started going to Boston Pride when I was fourteen years old with my closest gay male friend. At fifteen, I couldn’t wait to go back. At sixteen, I would find myself in San Francisco with another friend when we stumbled upon the Folsom Street Fair, an annual BDSM and leather street fair. In each of these “impressionable” years I was exposed to all sorts of things.
I saw the leather dykes on bikes.
I saw grown men on leashes.
I saw ball-gags and whips.
I saw drag queens.
I saw grinding.
I saw nipples.
I saw bodies.
I saw latex.
I saw...a lot.
And you know what? I turned out ok!
Queer, yes, but certainly not traumatized by what I witnessed at Pride.
You see, the thing is...
I also saw mom’s with signs offering hugs to queer youth.
I saw bodies of every ability, shape, size, and color.
I saw people living authentically and out loud.
I saw what queer love looks like in public.
I saw adorable LGBTQ+ families.
I saw singing and dancing.
I saw community.
I saw celebration.
I saw resilience.
I saw joy.
I saw adults breaking barriers I didn’t even know I needed to see broken. I saw the expansive nature of gender and sexuality. I saw what love in different bodies could look like. I saw possibility and a future I would have otherwise been sheltered from. If you have a teenager who is curious about going to Pride for any reason, I encourage you to support them.
“What if they see things they don’t understand?”
That’s ok! Kids see things they don’t understand every day. As caregivers, you can use the same skills you would if your kid saw something out of the ordinary in any context.
Talk with them. Don’t let your fear limit their ability to experience queer community. Invite them to talk about what they saw, if there were things they were confused about or want to know more about. If they want you to, you could join them and have the experience together.
“Are there more kid friendly Pride options?”
Absolutely! In most cities across the country there are Pride events that include events for children and adolescents. If you have a kiddo who is questioning, consider taking them to an event. Worst case scenario, you get out of the house, support your local queer community, and get some fun stickers or pronoun pins!
“So you’re sure I’m not a bad parent?”
You are not a bad parent for taking your kid to or allowing your teen to go to Pride. You are not a bad parent for supporting identity exploration. Stop beating yourself up and go make joyful memories with your child!
Want to better understand gender so you can support the kids in your life?
Sign up for How To Talk To Kids About Gender, the course that helps parents and caregivers have the not-so-difficult conversations that matter about gender.
