Building Community Through Pride

May 31, 2022 10:37 AM
by Christopher J. Smith

I am lucky to call Santa Monica home. I have lived here since 2009.  It is where my friends are, where my favorite hangouts are, and where I work.  It is where I find community. As a gay man, I chose to make Santa Monica my home because I could feel safe and included - at home.

Feeling at home is something many LGBTQIA+ people do not experience for many years, usually decades, if ever.  Strangers in our bodies and our homes, we live in the closet confused and scared of our feelings and identities.  We must undertake a journey of exploration and acceptance.  This coming out process is where many start to feel at home, accepting oneself and finding community.  Feeling like a stranger in your own home is a very disorienting experience, too often receiving negative messages about LGBTQIA+ identities from family members.  Young LGBTQIA+ people pay the price with their mental health, their ability to focus on the studies, and their ability to make and keep friends.

Telling one’s parents is one of the scariest acts when coming out of the closet. A 2022 Human Rights Campaign survey of LGBTQIA+ youth found nearly 50% of young people are not out to their families because they experience overt homophobia at home or are fearful of their family's reactions. Young LGBTQIA+ people put their entire well-being on the line, with too many finding themselves homeless and on their own.  If youth cannot find support from individuals in schools and their community, they are abandoned.  I am lucky, my parents valued me over phobias and the unknown.  They reached out to PFLAG, engaged their church leaders and friends, and chose a path of love and acceptance.  This is by no means a universal experience.

As a community, we have made the same commitment; inclusion and equity must outweigh fear.  Our City is once again the recipient of a perfect score from the Human Right’s Campaign on its Municipal Equality index.  But we cannot take that commitment for granted.  While it is a community commitment, it is far from universally held in our own town, and that commitment is even more fragile, non-existent, or actively worked against in other communities. LGBTQIA+ individuals are too often targeted because they have chosen to own their identity and we have more work to do to reach out to those who are Trans and LGBTQIA+ people of color.

We must stand committed to LGBTQIA+ inclusion and create safe spaces for young people to engage in conversations about their identity, ask questions, and make connections with others on the same journey.

This June, join us for fun events, art, and community starting Thursday, June 2 with our Party with a Purpose supporting the City’s Trans Equity Scholarships and ending with Council’s proclamation for Pride Month on June 28.  Throughout the month, there are events for  all ages hosted at our Library, the Annenberg Community Beach House, Queer Prom at the Water Garden and art and events on our Promenade and Santa Monica Place, and on the Pier.

And as we celebrate LGBTQIA+ Pride Month, let us reaffirm our commitment to equity and inclusion, challenge our perceptions, and show the world this is a town we all can call home.

Visit smpride.com and join us in celebrating Pride Month.

Authored By

Christopher J. Smith
Assistant to the City Manager