Gay Life Volume 33, Number 11

I am bursting with Pride: I’m proud to be a devoted ally to wonderful community; I am proud to work at the GLCCB; I am proud of our small but determined staff, our team of writers and photographers, and I am even proud of myself and how far I’ve come as Gay Life’s editor these last six months. I’m proud of our efforts, the results we’ve achieved, and I’m most proud to be a part of the LGBT community in Baltimore and work every day to share the stories, events, and opinions that matter to you.

We each do our part throughout the year to fight for equality, raise awareness of ongoing issues that disproportionally affect our community like HIV and breast cancer, and work to break down the barriers based on sexual orientation, gender, class, and race. But Pride is the time of year we can celebrate the fruits of those efforts and reflect on how far the LGBT community has really come since the first Baltimore Pride 35 years ago.

I am very sorry to say that I will not be attending Pride this year. While I’m truly disappointed to miss this long-running, epically attended, wonderful and colorful event, I have been planning a trip to Ireland for even longer than I’ve been with Gay Life. While I’m sad to miss the revelry, and the chance to meet many of you, I leave you in good hands. This issue not only delves into serious topics such as bullying and men’s health; it also highlights much of the great fun you’ll find at the weekend-long Pride festivities. Enjoy the festival, and be sure to check out a plethora of Pride photos in our June 24 issue.

Maggie Beetz, Editor