Jennifer Bonfrisco

“Pick your person and make it snappy, tick-tock, your tree of life can’t wait much longer.” Her mother’s words clamored in her head like an angry smoke detector begging for a fresh battery. The mantra, taunting her as she entered her 30s, became louder each night until she couldn’t sleep. How she longed for the sound of the music that played in her head from her childhood. Or the thunderous bass from the dance clubs in her 20s.

Every June, the rainbow flags are waving high, parades are filling the streets, and suddenly corporations care a whole hell of a lot about LGBT. It’s a fun time for many people; it’s especially fun when you’re younger and up for drinking and dancing the night away. But even for us older folk pride month is still a joyful time, bringing more visibility and acceptance for queer people.

You survived February 14th, the most romantic day of the year, the fantastic Valentine’s Day. If you can’t detect my sarcasm, please let me clarify; it was drenched in it. Make no mistake: I believe that love and connection are the entire purpose of life. All types of love, including romantic love, love for family, love for community, and love for friends, are important. But that leads to the nonsense of one day to celebrate love. It’s a silly day to stress people out and spend unnecessary money.