PRIDE WEEK, A TIME TO CELEBRATE DIFFERENCES

I always take the time to reflect when Pride Week (July 1019) happens in my community. As a mother of a gay son and grandmother of a biracial baby, there is a lot to think about lately.

I always wanted the best for my children, a life with opportunities and challenges. I always said that I do not want my children to be happy. Instead, I want them to be joyous, angry, frustrated, ecstatic — experiencing all emotions, both successes and failures.

In saying that, I do not want my children to experience barriers that are imposed on them because of prejudices and bias. Unfortunately, they exist. Bias based on race, gender, religion or abilities are all around us. The best we can do is to prepare our children with the skills and attitudes to manage in a society that judges them without knowing them.

I hope I have done that and I say it with sadness. Our job as parents is to raise and protect our children. It is heartbreaking to know that we have to prepare them for a cruel and judgemental world.

I am so proud of my son. He is a strong, caring, kind man. He chose to be a lawyer, working in legal aid helping others. He has been able to use his life experiences to understand challenges people face and to fight against them.

I hope that my granddaughter will face less racism and bias than my son, but I know she will face some. Let’s work to make this world a better place for our young ones.

This is what Pride month is about, a time to celebrate differences, to highlight injustices and to reflect on the society we live in.

Vianne Timmons, president and vice-chancellor Memorial University