I Am What I Am...GAY!

I am what I am

And what I am needs no excuses
I deal my own deck
Sometimes the aces sometimes the deuces
It's one life and there's no return and no deposit
One life so it's time to open up your closet
Life's not worth a dam till you can shout out
I am what I am

I am up early this morning, desperately, carefully, attentively selecting what I'll wear today, and going through a number of boxes looking for my chain of rainbow rings, which I think will look nice against my black muscle tee. These are not my only preparations, and I feel comforted that I am not alone, as an estimated 1.2 million GLBT folk in the New York City area are doing the same this morning. Today is Gay Pride in NYC, and we'll once again turn the place into one big party!

I like to correct my friends who call it a parade. I can understand their belief it's a parade, with floats, all the colorful people, and the celebration of all that we've gained in our fight for equal treatment, rights, and respect. However, it was started, and continues to be, a march for the rights and respect we must still fight for.

There are many forces working against us, and we must never forget their dark, mean-spirited presence. However, today is a day we can let go, and celebrate who we are, how we are, and what we are, individually and collectively.

One of my friends assigns various ring-tones to each of his friends, and has mine set to the tune "I am What I Am," originally from musical hit La Cage aux Folles, and made popular by Gloria Gaynor's dance remix of the same. Who couldn't love this piece, especially on Pride Sunday, where each of us can celebrate and say, I am what I am.