TBB was delighted to be one of the Grand Marshalls of the first Space Coast Pride Parade in Melbourne Florida this weekend.
Her three top moments?
3) Speaking with a woman who had to choose between the strictures of her fundamentalist church and being present for her gay child. This woman was grateful for the support she had from PFLAG and other groups. TBB spoke about the gratitude she has towards all the people who helped her find comfort and centering over the years and how she feels the need to pass those gifts on, taking leadership. To keep the gifts, you give them away.
2) One person who felt some urge to get involved with the trans community because they needed to do some exploration of moving beyond gender expectations felt safe enough to engage TBB. They are having dinner together on Monday.
1) When the festival was over, cleanup had to be done. Being informed that the bathrooms needed cleaning, people looked at each other, but TBB stepped right up to do the work, rolling up her sleeves and scrubbing away. The group saw why TBB has change so many lives by putting herself out front, whatever needs to be done.
For TBB, the power wasn’t in being in the spotlight but in doing the mature work to empower others, offering leadership that helped those around her to find their own strength, power and possibility.
With the support of many companies that would never have fielded connection to the LGBT community, the event was a huge success. The huge pride flag became the symbol of a new and better day, something to gather under and around, a banner to wave with great and expansive pride.
TBB felt the old roles surface, facets of her that are often hidden in her everyday work. She brought more of herself out, down to the black Mustang named Angolina that she bounded across the country in to get back for this event. Even her Italian roots were honoured with coffee and pastries in a group of leaders who celebrated their Italian-American heritage after the parade.
Remembering the bittersweet energy that would surge through her after every Southern Comfort Conference, TBB offered support and guidance to the leaders of this event, as she remembered her own proud heritage and glimpsed a shared proud future.
Callan 