The month of June marks the celebration of Pride Month. To understand the importance of Pride month to Meredith students, The Meredith Herald spoke to students and asked, “What does Pride Month mean to you?”
“This month means a lot to me in so many ways. It reminds me of what many of the people I love have gone through just to be themselves. Yet from my parents to my best friends, there has always been love. I admire these people in my life for their strength and voice. Pride is a year-round ordeal for me because it is a part of my life every single day.”
- Kaylee Haas, ‘22
“It means I’m not alone. There are other people who are like me.”
- Madelyne Comley, ‘25
“Pride means I’m not alone and is a special time to honor those who paved the way (like Marsha P. Johnson).”
- Mia Shelton, ‘22
“Pride Month to me is a month where I don’t feel like I have to question my identity. I spent the past year exploring my gender identity and I’ve seen a lot of discourse that makes me feel validated and even helps me understand myself better. I also came out as bisexual on the first day of June this year which was liberating. I’ve held onto that part of myself since I was a child. Pride Month to me is a month of feeling seen and understood.”
- Amanda Duran, ‘23
“[Pride Month is] a recognition of the Black, queer sex workers who came before us and fought for our rights and against police violence and discrimination.”
- Kate Polaski, ‘23
“[Pride Month means] not caring what other people think when I am affectionate with my girlfriend in public. Pride is yours, and [it’s] not your responsibility to uphold others' ideas about you.”
- Kaiya Nilsson, ‘25
“It’s an opportunity to celebrate a part of me I spent so long ignoring and rationalizing away.”
- Natalie Baker, ‘25
By Hadleigh John, Contributing Writer