Carol Kapaun, Mark Sinner: Allies

To the Editor:

Fargo-Moorhead Pride is coming up and we’re excited. Good music, food and new people to meet—a few of our favorite things.

As allies of the GLBT community we are unwilling to support a culture that asks any of its people to hide who they are or to silence themselves out of fear or shame or tradition or the pervasive ignorance of others.

We stand with our GLBT community in support of marriage equality, inclusion, fairness and connection. We create a deepened sense of community for ourselves when we celebrate all ways of being, all identities and certainly all kinds of love, all ways of sheltering each other, all ways of making family and community.

Straight and gay alike, we all want the good life, a life full of love, respect, opportunity, connection, safety, joy and laughter. The urge to deny any other human being these rights is mostly born of ignorance and fed by fear. Letting go of these all-too-often culturally supported judgments is liberating for us all. To challenge the limiting beliefs of a narrow cultural idea of “normal”; indeed, to give them up, frees us too.

When one person claims the right to be who they are, we are all inspired and liberated to be our open, creative, odd selves. Indeed the reward of allying is personal liberation, no small gift in this world that too often supports easy conformity.

We look forward to the Fargo-Moorhead Pride Celebration and the chance to honor and celebrate our shared life. We look forward to the music, the art, the company, the picnic, the lemonade and beer and yes, the drag show and the roller derby.

Standing together matters. Allies have always been fundamental to changes in law and culture affecting human rights. We choose to stand against discrimination, hate, fear, all very real threats to our GLBT community members.

A report released earlier this week by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) indicates that violence directed against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer Minnesotans continues to increase, extending a multi-year trend.

Pride is about making visible and celebrating a part of our human family that has been told to hide, about human rights for the whole human family. Pride is about festivity and community building. It is for us all.

Come to the F-M Pride Celebration. Bring your curiosity and your own desires, commitment and struggles to become who you are. Bring your family, your kids and your friends. Be an ally. It’s time and there’s room for your voice and presence. Showing support is uncomplicated, often entertaining and worth it.

-Carol Kapaun
-Mark Sinner
Fargo