PRIDE - Gay Pride: Be Proud of Who You Are!
Rossi uses her own story to talk about being proud of who you are and opening up your heart to the fact that love is love.
Walking down the street holding my lover’s hand was life threatening when I first came out in 1982. In 1989, a gang of kids surrounded my girlfriend and I walking down the street holding hands in the West Village. One of them reached for a gun. I still don’t know what would have happened if a cop hadn’t driven by. I guess you might not be reading this.
Today, I see young gay couples fearlessly holding hands all the time. Sometimes I shake my head and think aloud, “These kids have no idea how much we had to fight for the safety they take for granted.” But I met an older woman once, a pre-Stonewall lesbian, who said the same thing about me.
These days, it feels like we’ve stepped back in time. Hate crimes are up. Lots of gay and transgender kids are feeling frightened.
But I look at the beautiful young gay couples giddily walking past me and feel hope. Maybe, just maybe, we really can change the world. Maybe love really can win.
