President’s Message for June

Happy Pride Month!

I can’t believe its June already. But it is and it is a time to celebrate. I am feeling a little melancholy that I didn’t make it to Boston Pride this year as I was still feeling under the weather. I am sure that the SGM members that did make it did us proud (right?)!

But I will make it to Portland Pride and hope that a lot of you will be there to celebrate with me. It is a small parade but it is very well done and the gathering at the park after is really a lot of fun. It is a lot more intimate than Boston and you can actually see many familiar faces that you can actually have a conversation with. The entertainment last year was excellent and we couldn’t have asked for better weather. Keep your fingers crossed on the weather, it can make or break the festivities.

Let’s also celebrate with California!! Another state recognizes us as marriage material. I honestly never thought I would see gay marriage in my lifetime!! No cracks from the ageists please! Now we have two states that recognize gay marriage and several states that recognize civil unions.

We know this is not enough and many brave and dedicated men and women will continue to fight for us until we have full citizenship in the United States.

Keep in mind that there are still countries, in this day and age, that legally imprison and sentence to death gay men and women simply because of who they love.

Let’s celebrate not living in one of those countries and continue to express our outrage over these conditions whenever and however we can.

Happy Pride!

Joe