Following the historic legalization of same-sex marriage through Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015, many thought the path for the LGBTQ+ community was starting to clear. The Supreme Court’s landmark decision to grant marriage equality changed the law; however, it didn’t change the stigma.
The stigma surrounding LGBTQ+ individuals still exists across the United States, but the South is the focal point.
Being homosexual in the South isn’t an anomaly; although, being out is. Situated haphazardly between old social conservatism and extreme religious views, homosexuals in the South rarely feel safe. Let alone at home. Being different isn’t usually as fun as the world wants you to think it is.
That’s why Famously Hot South Carolina Pride has been opening up its big, bad, rainbow arms to the public since 1989. This past weekend, Famously Hot threw the party of the year for the 30th time.
The best part is, it was all in the name of being different.
At South Carolina Pride, everyone was different. Despite their differences, they were still radiating zeal for being alive and passing it onto everyone. From an elderly gay couple that was “overwhelmed by the love” being poured out at their first pride, to the mothers giving out hugs on the streets in place of less supportive parents. From the trans* man wearing his “new chest for the first time,” to teenage boys who were still too shy to hold hands.
For the first time, I understood the significance of the rainbow. Everyone around me was a color all their own, with each blending intricately into the next to create something grander than what they could make alone. These colors aren’t the same, but they still come together. They create something intricate and meaningful: a community.
The community that these people have created isn’t about being queer; it’s about being open-minded and loving. This community is built up of individuals who fall any and everywhere on the spectrum. This community is the pinnacle of inclusivity; hence, it is exactly what places like South Carolina need.
Rights hang in the balance for the LGBTQ+ community every day. Right now, the Supreme Court is deciding whether or not LGBTQ+ employees deserve to have protections from workplace discrimination similar to those in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes Inc. v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission will either secure or curse the future of LGBTQ+ Americans.
Why are their rights in question? Why is it even possible to consider that someone should be fired based on their gender expression? Prejudice and miseducation. Why can a baker refuse to make a cake for a gay wedding? Why did my friends and I have slurs thrown at us in high school? Prejudice and miseducation.
The everyday battle that LGBTQ+ individuals fight just to be alive is why pride exists. Famously Hot South Carolina Pride serves to show South Carolinians that there is a safe place to be; there are people who accept you. Everyone is welcome at Famously Hot.
The existence of pride festivals is essential to the growth of the LGBTQ+ community. Festivals like Famously Hot occur year-round across the U.S., but there is something special about pride in the South. The South has always been deeply proud of just being the South. Famously Hot South Carolina Pride is helping make South Carolina proud of every aspect of its culture. Even the queer parts. When those two types of pride mesh, they’re unbeatable.
Famously Hot South Carolina Pride has been pushing South Carolina forward for 30 years and sets an example of how accepting the South has the potential to be. Famously Hot continues to build a community for LGBTQ+ Southerners that feels like home.
Just as Paris Lefaris said on that rainbow-strewn stage, “it takes a village to raise a queen!” Believe me, Famously Hot is raising up royalty.
