2022 Montclair Pride

This was my first pride event, and for me, it also felt like a first “milestone” of sorts. I have been President of my school’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance for about a year now, after struggling to come to terms with my own identity for many years, and through it, I have created a small community of sorts.

However, outside my little group, I have trouble getting in touch with other members of the LGBTQ+ community - people who felt and understood me and what I have gone through. That’s what made Montclair so special - for the first time, I was standing in a town full of people who could tell me their stories, and I could fully relate.

Throughout the streets of Montclair, there were booths set up from various organizations like the ACLU, Trevor Project, and Planned Parenthood, alongside merchandise and food booths. I have never felt so safe and loved in a crowd of strangers, but absolutely everyone was everywhere and so, so kind. Four different strangers asked me if I was having a good time - and I was.

The live music was also a hit, and for those of us who love JORDY and Betty Who, their pride concert in Montclair was just the icing on the cake.

I could not have asked for a better first pride experience, and I look forward to many more.