06/04/2025
🏳️🌈 Pride is for everyone, it matters.
This 5⭐️ google review is bittersweet for me. I'm so grateful for the kind words. I'm also sad that we live in a world where it's still worth mentioning that I am a safe person.
For everyone who thinks pride is unnecessary or a distraction, I want you to think about intent of this review. There are people in our community who need to know who is safe.
The last conversation I had with a dear friend, , just days before he passed away, was about how political should I be in my business. Should we be public about our beliefs if doing so could harm our business and turn off some potential clients? He told me that he valued me as an ally, but I should resist my urge to "blow s**t up." He told me, be thoughtful. Be smart.
Yet, to me, supporting pride is not a political act. It is a human act. It tells the community that I am safe. The reality is that even here in Massachusetts, there are times that our friends and neighbors feel unsafe because of what they look like or who they love.
In a week we have an election in my town of . One of the most divisive races is for the open school board seats. What is a top issue that divides us? Whether or not our schools should be allowed to display the pride flag.
I will be voting for Henry Gwazda and Kate Schmeckpeper. They have teamed up to canvas together, showing that they value mutually supporting each other above running solo campaigns. Henry makes it clear on his campaign website that he supports the HS students who advocated for the pride flag to remain in their school.
A candidate I do not support, believes the pride flag is a distraction and should not be displayed.
Did you know that LGBTQ+ students have a su***de rate that is 2x higher than the general population? (Source: Trevor Project)
I thought I was painting this rainbow in my window for me, my friends, and potential clients. Moments after I completed it, school let out and a student stopped to take a photo of my work. Turns out I painted it for them. Maybe the kids need to be reminded that while some adults in town would like to make pride invisible, there any many of us who care.
