Wear purple today and wear pride every other day...

Pride is a five-letter word that I know very well. But it's the kind of pride that gets me in trouble. The kind that builds a wall around me and 'protects' me from allowing others hurt me.

The pride that I should be embracing should be helping others, right? Like - my gay pride. Like having the belief that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the way that I was born and I will wear my rainbow colors well!

This hasn't always been something that was easy for me. I realized I was gay a lot later in life and I believe it had everything to do with the bubble I was raised in. As a Youth Minister and a Choir Director at a Catholic Church, homophobia was at its best and embracing anyone who was different from the cookie cutter shape of the ever so prestigious Catholic was a rarity.

And then I stopped being in denial and started embracing my desire to be with another woman. I went out to clubs and bars and I started to talk about it. As hard as it was and as scared as I was, I slowly brought it up in conversation with friends... and then I came out to my family. Oddly enough, I was embraced by everyone. I was scared and worried that once the "secret was out" i would be ostracized and alone. But that didn't happen!!

Now, I won't say that there aren't moments of judgement or disapproval. I won't say that it was easy for me to get here or that I didn't ever struggle with feeling ashamed of who I am or scared of what people might think. I struggled. And it is still a process.

But here is the most important thing: There is nothing wrong with who I am. And as soon as I started to believe that, the rest of my world fell right into place. And now I REALLY feel better. Now I can have those tough conversations, or show affection in public to the one I love or wear something that represents my support for ANYTHING and ANYONE and not be embarrassed . Finally.

And I feel damn good about it.

Because I can be a voice. Because hopefully I can help someone with my story. And because I can make a difference... and I will do everything I can to do that... even the little things: