[pinkgeek]

This year most of the high holy days of gay (ok all of them) have had to be skipped for me. I am taking a very intense summer chemistry course as well as several gerontology seminars that don't leave me any moments for frivolity or celebration. What I have had instead is many short intense moments for reflection.

We don't live in a world of full equality, but we've come a damn long way from Stonewall and the times before and after. We have medical clinics (not enough) with specialists who have dedicated themselves to queer medicine. We have more art installations, movies, TV characters, artists and writers than ever before. We have queer police officers, fireman, and politicians. We have an army of allies, a generation of young people who refuse to believe the rhetoric of the right and we have a President who changed his mind, admitting it for the world to witness.

So as I return to building organic chemical models and putting together a veritable library of LGBT gerontology information to take back to Hawaii with me I'm grateful.

I'm grateful The.Gay.Beach (aka Delores Park), the TransMarch and the DykeMarch celebratory festivities ie. drinking->drinking->drinking celebrating->celebrating->celebrating will be around when I'm done with school. (For the sake of my sanity I'm going to assume they will be.)

I'm grateful for the older queers who braved the way before me and unflinchingly support my academic endeavors.

I'm grateful for my generation who celebrates these high holy holidays with abandon when I can't.

I'm grateful for the generation coming up behind me - because it just keeps getting better.

!!!!HAPPY PRIDE!!!!