YOUR WORDS | Terry Connects with His Inner Child at London Pride

Our friend Terry W Lyons-Schram recently participated in London Ontario's Pride Parade with his husband Terry R. Lyons-Schram. Terry W found the event extremely moving, so much so that he took to Facebook the following day to share his experience. 

We were very touched by his words and asked if Scribbles could print his message. As you see, he said yes. Like me, some of you will likely relate to what Terry writes about. For others, well I hope you decide to give it a read too.

"So yesterday I participated in my first Pride Parade in years. Standing with the group from Pride Men's Chorus London waiting for the parade to start, my mind went back to the little boy in me.

The boy that, from as long as he remembers, felt different. The boy that thought he was the only one in the world that felt this way. The boy afraid to say or ask anything for fear what he was feeling was wrong. The boy who as he grew up heard how he was feeling was somehow wrong, evil, not normal. The boy who hoped one day he would not feel ashamed of how he felt. 

There is still a bit of that boy in the MUCH older me. After reading the stories in the news this week about a certain business who called the London Pride Parade a freak show. I have to admit I was a bit nervous of the reception we would receive walking down Queens Ave to Victoria Park.

As soon as we walked onto the parade route, all I saw was smiling faces of families waving rainbow flags, people wearing t-shirts proclaiming "We are all Humans", "Free Mom Hugs" and so many more wonderful and fantastic signs of support for the LGBT+ community. 

I have to say I had many a teary moment yesterday while waving to the crowds, watching their smiling happy faces there to show support for us. 

There to enjoy our parade, people of all races, religions, socio-economic backgrounds, to put it in the simplest terms, humans supporting other humans. 

In my 30+ years as an out gay man I have seen a lot of things change but I have seen a lot of things that still must change.

When we still lived in Toronto we grew tired of the colossal, crowded craziness that has become Toronto Pride and yesterday I realized something, Pride does not have to be a celebration of 1 million plus attendees, Pride can also be the families sitting on the grass in their front lawns waving and watching the parade go by. 

Who needs a huge corporate celebration when I could actually see the faces of the spectators and they our faces not a fence or barrier between us, the love and support was much easier to see and feel in the city we now call home. 

While walking the parade route my thoughts went to the people who ask why we have Pride Parades, why we do not have Straight Pride and again my thoughts drift back to the little boy I was and the man I am. 

If not for Pride Celebrations showing me I was not abnormal, not evil or wrong in the way I was feeling, I really do not know where I would be today. 

I know we have come a very long way, but we have a very long way to go. 

I hope that the kid out there feeling different, feeling sad, depressed, suicidal, sees that there are people out there like you, you have a community, you have a huge percentage of the population that supports you. 

If by having Pride Parades and Pride Celebrations we can save 1, just 1 kid for the pain and confusion so many of us went through, if we can stop/help stop the mistreatment of LGBT+ youth and adults in other countries, if we prevent just 1 LGBT+ kids suicide then it is/was all worth it. And to me that is why we STILL need to celebrate Pride.

Wanted to note as well, I was lucky to have a very supportive family, who have always loved me unconditionally."

Thanks for letting Scribbles share this Terry. I identified with so much of what you wrote. I know the little boy you speak of. I know him extremely well. 

Terry is the proud owner of MY BIG FAT FOOD TRUCK, which can often be found in and around the London area. CLICK HERE TO VISIT MY BIG FAT FOOD TRUCK FACEBOOK PAGE 

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