Pride Month

June marks the beginning of pride season here in Michigan. I am lucky to enjoy a generally welcoming atmosphere in my small city. I see rainbow colored dresses in shop windows, pride flags hanging in stores and on residential homes, and we even had a “Pride Night” with lot of fun activities for everyone in the bustling downtown area.

Proud, but annoyed kitty

These festivities went off without incident, unlike a few other Pride events. Some of these other events have been disrupted or canceled completely due to organized threats from right-wing and/or religious groups. It’s all been rather alarming to read about and I’m grateful to live in a community that is more tolerant.

Some religious leaders here in the USA asked the congregation to check out LGBTQ+ materials from the public library to keep the materials out of the hands of the public. It’s a silly strategy as it just drives demand for the materials. Education, discussion, and tolerance are always more effective than tactics like this.

So with that, here are some of my favorite recommendations for LGBTQ+ reading: