10 Gay Things That Made Me Happy During Pride Month

Gay Pride Month is coming to a close.  I've already given an account of our fun weekend in Salt Lake City at the Utah Pride Festival, written about the supportive note left on Brian's car for sporting an Equality sticker, and praised JCPenney for their support of marriage equality... but what else made me particularly proud to be a gay man this month?

1.  As if I needed another reason to love an Oreo, the cookie came out in full support of the LGBT community when it posted a photo of a rainbow-filled cookie on its official Facebook page on June 25th. The photo said, "Pride," with the accompanying status reading, "Proudly support love!"  I will proudly support that delicious cookie with a tall glass of ice-cold milk!

2.  Ben Long, a Mormon friend from my home ward in Colorado, posted on Facebook, “I would like to clear any confusion.  I fully and whole-heartedly support gay marriage and all that it stands for.  Seriously people, a person's happiness shouldn't affect how you feel about yourself and the world you live in.  It's their life, not yours.”  Just like the Mormons who marched in the Utah Pride Parade, it's great to see that Ben is an open-minded individual who supports equality and justice for ALL Americans.

3.  Entertainment Weekly recently came out with an issue of their magazine with the headline "The New Art of Coming Out."  The article, entitled "By The Way, We're Gay" by Mark Harris, discussed the way celebrities are coming out of the closet in a quiet way nowadays.  It mentioned when Ellen DeGeneres came out as a lesbian in 1997 it was huge news, but today celebrities are simply mentioning their homosexuality in passing as if daring the public to make a big deal about it.  The gay celebrities mentioned in the article included Chris Colfer, Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto, Neil Patrick Harris, Wanda Sykes, Andy Cohen, Matt Bomer, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and many others who are hugely successful on television.  Apparently being gay isn't as damaging to one's acting career as it once was.  The article ends with this quote:  "In 2012, it's still worth pausing for a moment to celebrate the people who are paving that road and, strange as it sounds, the approach of a day when news like this is so much a part of the fabric of everyday life that it won't merit the cover of this magazine."

4.  At work I spoke to a lovely girl named Flo who was shopping for an engagement ring.  I helped her find the perfect one, and when I asked who it was for, she said, "My future wife."  I pointed to my ring and explained that I was engaged to a man and we instantly felt like we had something in common.  She was there with who appeared to be her father and little sister, and I was happy to know she had family support.  Flo went on to tell me that her plan was to propose in Santa Monica, CA on a vacation with her girlfriend.  She had even gone so far as to hire a flash mob to aid in the proposal!  Isn't that awesome?

5.  President Obama came out in support of gay marriage recently, so it was no surprise when he recorded this video officially naming June the month of LGBT Pride.

6.  After posting the question, "Who on Facebook would be interested in going to Brian's and my wedding next year?" I was overwhelmed by the positive responses.  Over 50 friends and family members either liked the status or left a comment expressing their support of us as a couple and a desire to be in attendance for our big day.  I can't wait for 2013!!

7.  Superhero Green Lantern, aka Alan Scott, is now a gay man in DC Comics' new series Earth Two.  In an article in RollingStone Magazine, the creator of the series, James Robinson, says,  "Alan Scott is super-heroic, he's super gallant, he’ll die for the earth, he’ll die for its people, he's everything you want in a hero. I imagine he’s such a Type A character that when he realized he was gay, he was like, 'Okay, I'm gay, now I'm just gonna go on with my life.' He's so accepting of it himself and he's such a compelling person that the world knows Alan Scott's gay. He's such a leader, he's such a good man, that the Justice League don't care. And that's a healthy depiction of a team and how it should be."

8.  My dad has been penning some supportive and loving stuff about me lately, as evident in my Father's Day tribute to him.  But his kind words just don't stop.  He later said, "It's because of his integrity that he had the courage to 'come out' and reveal his true self amid the fear of the unknown consequences, and I truly admire him for that."  It makes me feel good to be admired!

9.  Chevrolet put out a print ad in a Detroit-based LGBT publication that featured a Chevy Volt "coming out" to its parents saying, "Mom, Dad, I'm electric."  Beneath a rainbow border, the caption read: "So, whatever revs your engine, we support you 100%.  Happy Motor City Pride from the entire Chevrolet family."  This makes me want to go out and buy a brand-new Chevy Volt!

10.  In an interview with The Independent, Carrie Underwood made a statement in support of marriage equality.  Although many celebrities have expressed this opinion, it came as a bit of a shock from the Christian country singer.  She said, "As a married person myself, I don't know what it's like to be told I can't marry somebody I love, and want to marry.  I can't imagine how that must feel. I definitely think we should all have the right to love, and love publicly, the people that we want to love."  But how does this coincide with her Christianity?  She added, "Above all, God wanted us to love others. It's not about setting rules, or [saying] 'everyone has to be like me'. No. We're all different. That's what makes us special. We have to love each other and get on with each other. It's not up to me to judge anybody."

So there you have it, the 10 gay things that made me happy during Pride Month!  Now I'm off to eat some Oreo cookies while driving my Chevy Volt and listening to "Jesus, Take the Wheel."