Now More Than Ever

Celebrating Pride amidst the ongoing scourge of prejudice

June is Pride Month here in Italy, as well as in my home country of the United States and in many—but not all—countries around the world. June was chosen to coincide with the anniversary of New York City’s Stonewall riots, which are often viewed as the beginning of the gay rights movement.

In 2018, my husband Andrew and I stumbled across a small but lively Pride demonstration while vacationing in Ragusa, Sicily. I was moved by the courage shown by the participants in this small hilltop city.

Pride in Sicily in 2018

Volunteers were handing out placards to wear around our necks, each with a gay slur or hurtful/hateful word written on it. I chose one that read abominazione (abomination), because I’d heard that word used to describe people like me many times. I found the experience to be both powerful and unnerving.

I did not imagine at the time that, just a few years later, the war against the LGBTQ+ community by much of the religious and political right would have dramatically intensified across the U.S. and in many other countries around the world.

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This evening, I will be singing with my LGBT choir Checcoro in Pride Square. Checcoro was Milan’s first LGBT choir (and is one of more than a dozen nationwide); its mission is to support and promote a culture of social and civil rights for all through the universal language of music.¹

Photos from our group chat last year

Saturday is Milan’s Pride Parade, a huge event that draws some 300,000 people and lasts for hours! It’s a super fun, uplifting, and inspiring day, as you can see from this video I shot in the midst of the crowd in 2023. (Sound up!)

This June, I’m grateful to all the activists who have gone before to help secure my right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as an LGBTQ+ American. I stand on their shoulders, thankful and determined to do my part to make things better for those who surround me, and those who will come after me.

And I’m grateful to all those who have been and continue to be allies for me and Andrew and people like us. Grazie! And Happy Pride!

1. Here in Italy, same-sex couples are still denied the legal right to marry, and the current far-right government has made cracking down on some LGBT rights one of their top priorities.