Publisher's Notes: Travel With Pride
By David Ethridge
As I rode this past weekend in the Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride Parade, I looked out upon the crowd, thousands strong, and I felt a great sense of community. Several years have passed since the last time I was actually in a pride parade, and I had forgotten the feeling you get from seeing so many of our gay brothers and lesbian sisters, and our bisexual, transgender and even heterosexual friends all gathered together in pride. That feeling of belonging, of being part of a group, is something that many of us do not experience when we’re living a closeted life. One of the greatest benefits of our pride festivals and parades is showing the world that we do exist, and not just one or two of us here and there, but thousands and thousands of us, in every shape, size and color, from every walk of life.
The Long Beach festival is just the beginning of the summer pride season, however. Dozens of other pride festivals and events will be held throughout California and all over the country. In this issue we present our special Summer Travel Section, that will be your guide to travelling and enjoying the pride festivals coming to Los Angeles and San Francisco this month. We also take a look at two other popular local travel destinations: Palm Springs and Laguna Beach. Both are very gay friendly and make a perfect summer getaway.
Also, in celebration of Mother’s Day in May and Father’s Day this month, we have a special feature on a new gay parents group called “Families Like Ours.” It’s important for us to remember and to remind others, that GLBT people have families and that under the surface we are really just like everyone else.
As we await the California Supreme Court decision on Prop. 8, it is more crucial than ever that we show our pride, in ourselves and our families. Being out and proud is the best way to change people’s preconceptions. So this summer, travel in pride!