Happy Pride (and Humbelness)

Happy Pride!

I know Pride month was June, although some refer to the summer as Pride season. When Pride’s take their events all around the year, I think the point has become moot, but it is still worthwhile recognizing a the Stonewall milestone at the end of June. Our community has come so far. I remember my early days and my first Pride, where I was astounded to discover that we could be openly gay in public, during the day! In daylight! We were not confined to the backplane entrances and midnight prowls. The Pride movement has elevated our existence.

I wonder where our gay men’s yoga community would be, without the Pride movement. I would like to believe that we would have been able to find each other and connect and build a community. I mean, nudism itself, along with yoga, had been around before Pride. Would the gay men’s natural yoga community simply seeded itself and grown independent. Perhaps there have been persons is this movement, separate from Pride, that have working at this for decades and have little cross over?

As much as we celebrate the Pride movement, I think we must remember to also celebrate our own actions in guiding our community. Perhaps all of our acts in men’s health and wellness could be considered a celebration, one more event undertaken, one more new student, one more success story of someone overcoming their vices. We must also remember to celebrate ourselves, but in the opposite manner of pride; in humbleness. This a juxtaposition that we face. Finding the balance between pride and humility. That balance is what I call honour, or honourable action. I believe the word used in English translation is “Right”, as in “Right” action. 

So, let us celebrate, all of our achievements, both from the Pride community and from our own. Until the next season starts, or perhaps until this season ends, Happy Pride. 

(The pic below is from 2020 or so, re-used in the Winnipeg Free Press in 2025, I believe).