Pride

Aristotle's Crown of the Virtues in an Era That Needs Him

In my self-imposed bubble, separated from (most of) modern culture, I couldn’t tell you much about Pride Month outside of Monmouth County, New Jersey. I find today’s culture outside of the music scene of my current county either too boring or too horrifying (or both) to pay it much attention.

Since I have embraced Monmouth County, including its inestimable, rare values and the flaws it shares with the rest of the culture, I can report a little on its LGBTQIA+ Pride celebrations.

Monmouth County in general, and Asbury Park especially, became an epicenter of gay culture in the 1990s. The first Asbury Park Pride parade took place in 1992. It has grown exponentially since. Minorities of all kinds flocked to the area—the LGBT movement established Asbury Park as a hub and a place for acceptance in a way that was not obviously exclusionary to those outside of their movement. It is my understanding that they had more than a little to do with the city’s rise, like Phoenix from the ashes, from rock bottom to its return to something of a resort city with a music scene to rival any other. I am nothing but grateful for that.

But do today’s Pride celebrations—from the parades and festivals all over the little city last weekend to the rainbow flags flying all month and beyond all over town—deserve unequivocal, full support?

Like every other mass cultural movement today, they are of mixed quality.

What is pride? Is it good? Is it bad? When is it justified, if ever?