Celebrating Pride Month in Houston | Notebook for children journalists

Kush with Avery Belyeu, CEO of the Montrose Center in Houston, and JuJu Faragher, Hatch Youth Services Specialist

June is Pride Month. What does Pride mean to you? Is it a rainbow flag flying on a street corner? Is it a community where everyone respects each other’s differences? Or is it a country where everyone has equal rights, regardless of gender or sexual orientation?

In 1999, President Bill Clinton declared June “Gay and Lesbian Pride Month.” This statement was a response to decades of repression and mistreatment of the gay community. In 2009, when Barack Obama was president, Pride Month was expanded to include the entire LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) community.

To learn more about the importance of Pride Month, I spoke with members of the LGBTQ+ community in Houston, Texas. Avery Belyeu is the executive director of the Montrose Center, which opened in 1978. The nonprofit seeks to empower members of the LGBTQ+ community to “live healthier, more fulfilling lives.”

“I hope we will be a beacon for LGBTQ+ youth,” Belyeu said. “We work daily on our mission to make all communities safer places for them, so they are affirmed for who they are.”

Kush shows Belyeu and Faragher around Hatch Youth.

PEER SUPPORT GROUPS

Within the center, a group called Hatch Youth helps children and young adults who identify as LGBTQ+ “not only survive, but thrive.” Hatch offers peer support groups and mentorships, as well as educational and creative activities.

JuJu Faragher is a Hatch Youth Services Specialist. “Pride is an opportunity to embrace the quirks and intricacies of being human,” he said. “It helps us collectively find freedom of expression, love and joy.”

Faragher offered advice to young people who are considering joining a group like Hatch, but are worried.

“It’s okay to be nervous,” Faragher said. “It takes time to make friends and warm up. Give yourself some grace to experience being in the room and feeling comfortable. And let your fears dissipate.

Kush with her dog, Sweetie Pi, and Marin Slanina, the owner of Star Sailor, a restaurant in Houston

CREATING A MORE INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY

I also attended a family-friendly Pride Pup Crawl at Star Sailor, a local restaurant. As I sat in a party room filled with rainbow-clad dogs, I spoke with the owner, Marin Slanina. She explained the purpose of the crawl and her vision for the LGBTQIA+ community.

“Whenever we talk about impact, I explain it like a drop in a bucket,” Slanina said. “You have a bucket of water and you have a pebble. Everyone’s pebble is a different size and leaves a ripple. A ripple effect eventually meets other ripples to make a bigger impact. So if we spread love, care, community and inclusion, we are all happier and more fulfilled.”