Now More Than Ever, We Swim With Pride
Dear Swimmers, Families, and Community Members,
June is Pride Month, and as always M3A is excited to not just observe, but participate! As we join communities around the world in this annual celebration of acceptance and love, we’d like to take a moment to talk about why it’s so important – always, but especially this year – that we embody Pride with every kick, turn, and stroke.
Pride Month is a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community, and an opportunity to recognize not only the ongoing need to include and accept people of all identities, but also just how much we’ve accomplished in this pursuit. At a global and national level, we advocate for protection and equal rights, and we recognize the bravery, struggle, and triumph of those trailblazers who have created a brighter, more colorful world. At an individual and community level, though, our calling is even stronger, and we take this opportunity not to label or delineate or single out each other, but to instead pursue the simplest, purest goal of all: acceptance.
In a world that seems to be head-spinningly complicated, Pride is pretty simple: everyone is welcome to be who they are.
As we begin our celebration of Pride Month, we remain guided by both these overarching principles of LGBTQ+ progress, and the ways our daily interactions can build and define a community of acceptance. We will of course encourage conversations about the broader social movements driving Pride and the ongoing marches towards political victories for justice and quality. But, education is only the smaller half of Pride. We will continue to drive and develop athletes defined by their acceptance, inclusivity, and welcomeness towards others – to be outstanding teammates and community members wherever they go, and to not only acknowledge opportunities for progress but to lead those pursuits at every level. We can – and should – learn about the LGBTQ+ movement, its history, and its obstacles, but no theoretical knowledge is as powerful as simply treating one another with love. When my LGBTQ+ teammates and I were growing up in Central Florida, that’s all we dreamed of: that someday, we might get to swim in a community of love.
At the same time, we need to acknowledge that this Pride Month is taking place amidst a backdrop of exclusion, hatred, and fear. It is easy to feel as though we are in a drought of humanity and grace, and to be trapped by worries about the future. But at this juncture, we have a choice: to let the fear silence all that we have to say, or to embody Pride so boldly and defiantly that our fears slip away. We can’t defeat darkness with timidity. Those who seek to instill fear do so because of their own weakness: it is harder to understand others than it is to judge. So, in the face of their weakness, we must be strong. We must love and live proudly, and in doing so, show that what is right is more powerful than what is wrong. Our pride will win against their fear, and our love will win against their hate.
So, this June more than ever, we celebrate Pride the way it’s meant to be: bold, unapologetic, and with enough love to tilt the scales. We commit to these principles of welcoming and inclusion not only at the movement level, but also in our relationships with each other. We understand instead of judging, and if we can’t understand, then we go back to that simplest doctrine: everyone is welcome. In an era of darkness, it’s on us to be the light. And in a time of fear, it’s on us to shine even brighter.
Wishing you a Happy Pride Month,
Coach Ryan
