On Instagram, @blessthemessy shows “What PRIDE actually is” using slices of a colorful pie chart. Here’s a few pieces of the PRIDE pie:

• celebration
• feeling at home in yourself
• having community
• loving yourself more than needing to be loved by others
• surviving hard sh*!
• being accepted & respected as ourselves
• fighting for equal rights
• gender euphoria
• protecting trans youth
• validating intersections

Whether you personally identify with the PRIDE community and/or are an ally of the community, we all celebrate.

Of the few PRIDE pieces above, most are easily understood by everyone. However, let’s look at “intersectionality” (which may be a newer term to some.) Miriam Webster‘s definition says, “the complex, cumulative way in which the effects of multiple forms of discrimination, (such as racism, sexism, and classism) combine, overlap, or intersect, especially in the experiences of marginalized, individuals or groups. The Harvard Crimson says that “intersectionality is a term for an increasingly popular framework for activism, which says that in order to understand social and political phenomena, people must consider various human identities, like race, gender, and sexuality NOT as separate, but as parts of a complex tangled web.”

The word, “complex” shows up in both definitions, and “complex tangled web” is a great word picture. We are ALL complex beings. The body alone is highly complex, but we’re so much more than the body alone—we have soul, and spirit. Then add in all the systems that have had an impact on us: family, social, medical, educational, political, religious etc. – a tangled web for sure. It stands to reason there’s some real contradictions and complexities present. Unfortunately, discrimination of all kinds still exists. Groups are still marginalized. And, it is a complex web.

This doesn’t deter us. We hold on to love and hope. We believe that together, WE (the tangled diverse webs we are) can unite and create a world where acceptance of our vast diversity, equality for all, and inclusion are the norms!

Cheri Thomas

Cheri works as a Peer Support Specialist for RI in Arizona. She has experienced loss and grief which has led her to write for the masses to bring voice to those in similar situations. Cheri possesses a deep passion to share with, encourage, and inspire others on what she calls the Journey of the Heart.