Best wishes for your June! The month ahead is packed with Pride parades, festivals, brunches and whatnot. It is remarkable how many pride events are taking place all over Southern California.

The first time I went to a Pride event I was truly surprised that not all gay folks were in theater or the arts. I knew rationally that there were gay accountants and dentists, but to sit there with all the other volunteers before the event with construction workers, school teachers and computer programmers… it was surprisingly affirming. We come in so many flavors. I love that we are all so different. That we each have different strengths (and challenges)… our diversity is one of the most exciting things about the LGBTQIA+ community. We are all races and abilities. We’ve had different experiences with regard to gender and what that means to us. It is all rather extraordinary and full of power.

So sometimes I struggle with what at times seems the pre-existing LGBTQIA+ style guide that we see in social media. That there is a brand that we need to squeeze our identity into. That there is a specific way to be gay. I love a rainbow as much as the next artist. And if we are to choose a flag? Yes! Absolutely. A rainbow captures the range of possibilities within our community. And there’s a metaphorical pot of gold when one becomes comfortable with one’s self.

But a brand is simply a tool to boil down the essence of an idea so that you can sell it to people who don’t want to think too deeply. It’s a useful shorthand. But we are all bigger than that. We come in all shapes and sizes and we don’t need to be condensed down into someone else’s notion of what LGBTQIA+ is supposed to be. Social media is not real life, and its curated branding should never be confused with real life.

When all is said and done, I don’t want to fit inside other people’s boxes. I aim to be my best self. I screw up all the time and say and do stupid stuff… but hopefully I learn and do better. I want to be kind and respectful to others and to myself. I want to have healthy boundaries, but also try to help others when I have the capacity. I want to take care of my body so that I can do what I love as long as I can. I love time spent creating: art, healthy relationships… creativity has many forms and I can embrace and explore those possibilities.

So I just want to encourage you to celebrate the best aspects of yourself this month. Explore your strengths and the things that you love to do, and take pride in that journey. I think Pride is as much or more about the journey as it is about an illusory destination. Pride is about the choice to move forward.