Finding My True Family
How I found a sense of belonging and felt loved in the end
Greetings, Vocal readers! I've been very open about who I am for the last several years in numerous stories. I fully embrace my true self daily and unapologetic for it. Despite Republican politicians increasingly attempting to silence and denying our existence, our voices will grow even louder. I'm going to tell a story about how an event changed my life forever. Be sure to sound off in the comments below and be sure to like this story once you have read it. If you have any questions about what I look for in a guy, please also share them down below. Also, follow me on my socials. Finally, please send me a one-off tip at the end of this story to support my work as I continue to write and publish more stories.
June 2016: Four years after coming out as gay, I was invited to an event that I was looking forward to. It was our local Pride parade and I attended it with my friend at the time, Raymond, who was a transgender man and at one point, we dated. He was such a great friend and was excited to enjoy myself there. Pictured above was the exact outfit I wore that morning. I brought my Texas rainbow flag with me and for my new readers, I'm originally from Texas and currently reside in Arkansas. Anyway, Raymond and I arrived in downtown Fayetteville and that morning, it rained for a while, but it was sprinkling. Once the parade got underway, which we took part in, the sun came out and that moment was so joyous. At the end of the parade route, Raymond and I mingled with some people, including the Mayor of Fayetteville at the time. Attending my very first Pride event was the moment I found a community that treated me like an actual family. Since then, I attended Pride until the pandemic interrupted and changed our daily lives forever. In 2022, the annual Pride parade returned after a two-year hiatus and it felt good to back being around people again.
Last year was the 20th anniversary of our local Pride event. I recorded a short video of the parade, which you can see above, and it was so beautiful to see people come together to celebrate this important milestone. A few weeks before this, the Governor tried her best to ban drag, because she claimed it was to "protect children." I'm glad she didn't go through with that ban and it backfired, because drag is art and a form of entertainment. There were more pressing issues in this country to worry about and drag wasn't one of them.
Over a couple of months ago, the Pride event in my area was in danger of not having their annual celebration this year, due to our commander-in-chief putting extreme pressure on companies to end their DEI programs. In case you didn't know, companies such as Walmart and McDonald's have either scaled back or entirely eliminated their Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, because Trump believed that such programs shouldn't be put in place. Because of this ridiculous political pressure, organizers of my local Pride event appealed to supporters to raise at least $30,000 in order to save it and find new sponsors. There was a happy ending, where their goal was met and I'll be back at the parade next month.
A few months ago, I wrote a story about the lessons that Pride parades taught me. One of those lessons I stated in that story was a sense of belonging. It was always great to see a diverse group of people from different walks of life at an event like this. It always makes me smile and my warms my heart. You can read the full story in the link down below.
About the Creator
Mark Wesley Pritchard
You can call me Wesley. Former cosplayer, retro gaming fanatic, die-hard Texas Rangers fan, and nostalgic freak. Need I say more?
Threads: @misterwesleysworld
Instagram: @misterwesleysworld
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More stories from Mark Wesley Pritchard and writers in Pride and other communities.
The Bold and the Fabulous
The art of embracing our true selves is something that we should be doing unapologetically. For yours truly, the journey from hiding the real me to being out and proud was a difficult one. I'm going to share my own personal story and how I'm living my life today as a gay man.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 8 months ago in Pride
Comments (3)
I really appreciate and celebrate your existence here on Vocal, I really enjoy reading your personal journeys and experience and what helped shaped you. Keep on fam :)
That's quite a story. It's great how you found your community at the Pride parade. I can only imagine how special that first event was for you. Made me wonder, though, how did the pandemic specifically impact your Pride experiences? Did you find other ways to stay connected to the community during those two years?
Your story is really inspiring. It's great how you found your community at Pride. Made me think about the events that have shaped my sense of belonging. Do you think more cities should have regular Pride events to keep that sense of community strong? I can only imagine how special that first Pride was for you. I've been to some events that brought people together like that. How has the Pride experience changed for you over the years?