WE ALL HAVE A LOT TO LEARN ABOUT PRIDE AND GETTING ALONG

TARA COLLUM | Special to MuskokaTODAY.com

How long does Pride need to be celebrated? How about forever.

Once things reach parade status, they are a pretty permanent tradition.

Times are changing and progressing; but things aren’t always as far along as we’d like to think they are.

With education, empathy and more representation, I hope it’s easier for people to be who they are. It’s not really anyone’s business anyway. If we want to discuss our private lives, that’s great, if not, people can figure it out by context clues if they’re really so curious.

I’ve been married to my husband for almost 20 years. When I first met him, I was worried we wouldn’t share the same values. Because he was a Christian, and I wasn’t homophobic.

So, we went to the Toronto Pride Parade, and had a blast. There were floats from clubs and community groups, and corporate-sponsored floats. I vividly remember the Fruit of the Loom characters dancing. There were kids, and families, it didn’t seem any different from a Santa Clause parade, except it was summer.

I’m not from a church background and can’t understand a God that isn’t loving, accepting, and inclusive. And it’s not a matter of forcing a church to conform to the demands of the ‘woke’ mob. There are many churches that don’t discriminate, one of them is the United Church.

Every year while Muskoka Pride celebrates with a festival, and more towns fly rainbow flags, I want to do something to take part. So I usually read a book by a LGBTQ+ author. I’m only saying this because I have a lot to learn. Even the letters I’ve used, there are more letters often included, and a two is often used to represent Indigenous Two-Spirit.

Reading of course is not enough. It’s very easy to fall behind, and not understand what’s going on anymore. Especially with identity and expressions of gender. If I didn’t go back to school recently, I would probably have been confused by some of the questions on the recent government census.

I had my two truths and a lie ready for the first day of class icebreakers, but I didn’t know we’d be sharing our preferred pronouns.

It was important to my classmates. They appreciated the safe space of the college, and they asked me to call them “they” if they didn’t go by, he or she.

So I did. And I tried to learn the terminology. While it’s better to learn from someone with experience, we need to do what we can, and not expect others to catch us up or teach us what we should already know.

We know that many things exist on a spectrum, and gender is one of them.

I just never thought of it before, but it doesn’t mean it’s a new thing.

Some people will insist it’s a mental illness, or that kids are being brainwashed by parents or teachers. Others say they’re fine with it.

Until we try sorting out what signs to put on a bathroom door.

People shouldn’t feel stressed or scared or uncertain of what bathroom to use.

What’s the solution? You don’t need to have an answer to pose a question, but in this case, I actually saw the perfect bathroom.

The medical clinic I go to recently moved into a nicer, newer building, that has immaculate washrooms, and there are no signs on the door indicating gender. There’s a doorless walled off area similar to a food court or mall, leading to the washroom. No urinals, no stalls with huge gaping doors that don’t go down to the floor. But a neat row of tiny individual rooms, each with a full locking door.

Everyone has privacy. Guys with babies don’t need to worry about finding a change table. If your washroom is being cleaned, you don’t have to sneak into the other washroom. Perfect set up right?

The only catch? There was only one area of sinks to wash your hands So, gasp! I would have to wash my hands beside who knows who. What was it like?

It doesn’t matter who we stand beside, washing our hands should be no different than riding an elevator.