By Ray Cardello for June 16, 2025, Season 31 / Post 28

For many years, I was under the misconception that June, not just a day, but an entire month, was dedicated to the celebration of homosexuality. My first exposure to the charade was when I found myself in the midst of a Boston Gay Pride Parade many decades ago. It was a freak show of men and women dressed in flesh-exposing costumes that would make a Mardi Gras reveler blush, marching through the streets of Beacon Hill proclaiming their same-sex relationship with their partners. In some cases, young children accompanied the adults, completing the perfect LGBTQ+ family. I found it embarrassing then and still do today. Adults have the Right to share their lives with the person of their choice, but not to celebrate it in my face for a month. Why has no one demanded equal time to make July Heterosexual Pride Month? Because mainstream people do not need to flaunt their existence. They just have to live it. This is not to say that LGBTQ+ individuals should not have the right to celebrate their identity, but rather that the public display of it for an entire month can be seen as excessive.

But, in a late-life realization, after reflecting on the true meaning of Pride Month, it dawned on me that it’s about more than just a rainbow symbol. June is a celebration of American Pride and the millions of brave men and women who have proudly worn one of our incredible military uniforms and fought to preserve our freedom and way of life. They willingly marched into battle to maintain all of our rights, including those folks who feel a need to proclaim their sexuality. They marched in uniforms and not ghoulish costumes. They wore the flag proudly on the shoulder of their uniform, and they were willing to give their lives so that a small percentage of our population could joyfully march in costume to proclaim their homosexuality.

The Left is confused. They say they want to be all-inclusive, yet they feel a need to put people into a specific box and label them. National Slavery and Human Trafficking Month, LGBTG+ Pride Month, Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Arab American History Month, Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. LGBT History Month (maybe we can learn why they dropped the Q), and Black Catholic History Month are just a few of the dozens of “Boxes” the country has to celebrate. Maybe one of the reasons we have so many is the politicians who cannot write effective legislation, so they get their name attached to a cause and pick a month to celebrate it.

One thing we need to realize is the need for mutual respect. Respect is a two-way street.  In their pursuit of inclusivity, the Left often overlooks the feelings of those who may not share their views. It’s crucial to understand that inclusivity means considering all perspectives, not just the ones that align with ours. The 250th anniversary of the Army was celebrated with a parade in D.C. Celebrated on the Right, and condemned on the Left, it was a celebration that should have had unanimous consent, but not in today’s America.

I do not believe Gay people or any other sector of our population needs a month to celebrate. Still, the military, police, first responders, and even ICE deserve our respect and thanks every day of the year.