Don’t rain on their parade

Hey, it’s Pride Week in the Okanagan Valley. There’s a week-long string of special events in Kelowna, highlighted by Saturday afternoon’s Pride Walk, where more than 6,000 participants are expected to march.

In Penticton, Mayor Andrew Jakubeit declared Aug. 11-18 Pride Week.

Who would have thought, even as recently as 25 years ago, that staunch Conservative towns (at least at the time) would be recognizing pride?

It’s happening. Although the attitude of most people has changed — thanks mostly to our youth — there’s still a long way to go.

This week, a Kelowna resident (who we won’t name) recommended criminal charges to police against this print journalist for “not allowing the truth of how dangerous homosexual lifestyle really is.”

Apparently, we declined his letter to the editor objecting to Pride Week.

(Arrest me. Sentence me to two-years-less-a-day in Oliver.)

While this newspaper has always championed freedom of speech, we have never supported hate speech. There is a difference. Another individual asked why we don’t have a Straight Parade. Great idea, go for it.

But, from my own recollection, nobody was ever disowned by their parents for being straight. Nobody lost a job because they were straight. No kid ever got bullied on the playground for being straight. It’s not very often a young person takes their own life because they were straight. In barbaric nations, nobody is been executed for being straight.

Bullying of gay youth has also been known to extend to kids who are percieved to be gay.

The message behind pride events is, you’re OK, I’m OK, we’re all OK and we love you for who you are.

We’re a diverse nation made up of different races, political beliefs, religions and sexual orientation.

For those who think Pride parades are silly, that’s fine. Some capitalists might hate the Labour Day parade. Heathens might choose to ignore the Santa Claus Parade.

But, we don’t need to rain on anyone’s parade.

To the haters out there, times change, attitudes change, people became more educated.

The sun will still rise tomorrow morning.