Pride?

A friend and I were texting each other last night while I was studying in the library. I had my earphones in so I didn't realize that my phone was jingling every few minutes for awhile, so naturally, every time it rang, I'd get dirty looks for not having my phone on silent.  After I realized this, I told my friend what a troublemaker I was being and he laughed a bit about how gays always just have to be the center of attention, to which I replied, "Loud and proud, baby.  Except when in a library full of [church school] students."

It got me thinking a little on the subject of pride.  I'm not ashamed of who I am at all; in fact, there are days when I genuinely like being gay.  But still, it's not easy to be out or open among church members.  Plus, I'm not particularly proud of gay culture as a whole.  The promiscuity and drug culture stereotypes we live with are stereotypes for a reason.  By no means are they rules for us, but even so, you can see how being out might be kind of difficult among members of the church, whether I acted on it or not.

Then, today, I found these.  I think I'm in love.  I'm pretty sure I could rock them with the belt buckle below, which I already own, and be doing my part to passively show the world that I yam what I yam and that's all that I yam.

Okay, it has nothing to do with pride.  It's the enjoi logo.  Still, it's a rainbow, right?

Like Amber has expressed, someday I think that the members of the church will be understanding enough for me to be able to be my whole self around them without fear of judgement or criticism.