Katy Perry Will Not Be Censored In This House #PrideMonth

We are more than half way through Pride Month and I felt inspired to write. 

Walking through Target today, it was nice to see the distinct section of Pride merchandise.  I’ve seen significantly more businesses supporting Pride Month this year so was curious when Pride Month was first recognized. 

I learned that in June 1999, President Bill Clinton declared “the anniversary of Stonewall every June in America as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month”.  Twelve years later, President Barack Obama expanded the officially recognized Pride Month to include the LGBT community.

A Brief History

“Stonewall” refers to the June 1969 events at the Stonewall Inn, in Greenwich Village, New York.  New York City police raided the popular gay bar arresting employees for selling alcohol without a license, roughing up many patrons, and in accordance with a New York criminal statute, arresting anyone not wearing at least three articles of gender-appropriate clothing. 

At the time, homosexual acts were deemed illegal in almost every state, and bars and restaurants faced getting shut down for having gay employees or serving gay patrons. While police had raided gay establishments before, on that particular night, members of the LGBTQ community decided to fight back inciting riots for the next five days.  

Today, Pride Month is dedicated to supporting LGBTQ rights.  According to GLADD, a non-profit organization focused on LGBTQ advocacy and cultural change, Pride also provides “an opportunity for the community to come together, take stock and recognize the advances and setbacks made in the past year. It is also a chance for the community to come together and celebrate in a festive, affirming atmosphere.”

Katy Perry Will Not Be Censored 

About 6 years ago, when my daughter was 4 years old, we were vacationing with cousins and their kids. The kids ages ranged between 4 and 10 years old.  

One night, we started watching music videos (like the good ol’ MTV days) while the kids danced. We fell into a Katy Perry trance and watched one video of hers after another.  During “California Gurls” one of my cousins rushed out of the room pulling her 10 year old’s arm behind her.  Enjoying the video, none of us bothered to follow them.  

My cousin came back into the room and explained that her daughter would not be watching any more videos with us. There were two men kissing in the video and she felt that the material was inappropriate for a child to see (by the way, she lives in California).  She also wasn’t ready to explain to her child what it meant when two people of the same gender were affectionate. 

I respected her opinion and decision to remove her daughter from the room, although I didn’t agree with it.  I also didn’t agree with her belief that the rest of us with 4 year olds would understand and do the same when our kids were older.  

Today, I have a 10 year old and who knows what it means when someone identifies as gay or as a lesbian.  We also spoke to her about transgenderism when she confusingly gazed at the server at a restaurant who looked like a woman but sounded like a man.

Does she understand what these concepts mean? I believe she does. We’ve always kept these conversations simple and honest.  And we know there is still so much to learn and to teach her. 

Education Starts At Home

We want to have open lines of communication with our children. If my daughter is curious as to why two men are kissing on television, she should feel comfortable enough to ask me.  And thankfully, a couple of years ago, she did. I was with her when she saw two men kiss on television and as her eyes got big, she turned to me and asked why they were kissing. 

I was glad she asked me instead of asking her friends at school who may give her incorrect or biased information.  

The conversation about Pride Month goes deeper, however.  Whether we agree with what Pride Month stands for or not (clearly, you know which side I land on), we are teaching our kids about respect.  Although not all humans feel the same way, we need to teach our kids to respect one another.  We need to teach our kids that they, even at this age, play a role in supporting equal rights for all. 

At the same time, I support teaching kids that not all people are the same and that is perfectly ok. In fact, it’s a great thing. How boring would this world be if we were all the same? 

As our kids get older, they may struggle with their identity and sexuality or have friends and classmates that do.  Either way, wouldn’t it be a relief for kids to support each other through these mental and physical changes? There is a driving force for inclusivity in high schools, but there is still a lot of push back from parents and school staff. 

I’m not naive to think that all parents around me support the LGBTQ communities.  But in my home, I will teach my child the importance of supporting humankind.  To me, this is enriching her mental sphere, social sphere and educational sphere. 

We will also continue to listen to Katy Perry in this home. (Oh, and we did see her in concert a few years ago and she was FANTASTIC!) Katy Perry Will Not Be Censored In This House. #PrideMonth