When I asked the guy at the counter of a Jewish deli for a corned beef sandwich with mayo, he replied, “Girly, let’s not.”

It’s true that “girly” is less common now, yet many vintage terms are being revitalized and adapted, and Levine, as a transgender woman, may find value in it. However, I’m getting off track.

A “Summer of Pride” appears somewhat selfish, doesn’t it? As I have told my son following his birthday (and numerous times thereafter), “The world does not revolve around you. Other individuals are important as well, so stop hogging all the air in the space.”

I have LGBTQ family members and have known and cherished many who identify within the LGBTQ spectrum. I have witnessed the significant harm that arises from leading lives in fear, which is entirely contrary to our understanding of human dignity. The dignity of every human being is an inherent gift that we Catholics are called to recognize and to uphold in one another.

As St. Catherine of Siena articulated in her Dialogue, “Love follows knowledge.” You reveal to me your identity. I disclose mine, and that’s the point where we start to understand, and ultimately to love, recognizing our common dignity and our necessity to exist boldly and harmoniously.

Government backing

That being stated, I kindly propose that our LGBTQ friends and allies observe their surroundings and “gauge the atmosphere.” Since the community that has predominantly embraced same-sex attracted Individuals and same-sex marriage, along with gender fluidity and LGBTQ+ families, are reaching a level possibly never envisioned before, and are questioning the need for endless celebrations of sexuality, becoming increasingly cautious about moments where activism appears to go too far. The demonstrators who shout “we’re here, we’re queer, we’re coming for your children” at certain Pride parades might have believed they were being playfully ironic, yet that jest did not resonate well in a country witnessing legislators trying to deny parents their rights to be involved in their children’s care concerning “gender affirming treatment,” whether in medical environments or schools, and, in some instances, pushing to physically remove children from their “non-affirming” parents for “the health, safety and welfare of the child.”

The substantial push for the medical transitioning of even young adolescents in America stands in stark contrast to the retreat from such approaches in much of Europe, where significant restrictions have essentially been enforced on the use of puberty blockers and the surgical removal of breasts or reproductive organs for minors. This kind of caution (and caution is indeed a virtue) suggests neither “hatred” nor a risk of “genocide” — two terms that are rapidly being overused, which will ultimately render them ineffective.

However, there’s an aspect that merits attention: In large urban areas, the prevalent rainbow flags weren’t merely carried or donned by those in the parade — they were being put up by local authorities, which is quite revealing. When numerous Pride flags are placed along London’s Regent Street, it’s a move sponsored by a government that acquires the flags and compensates the individuals who install them. Similarly, when a massive rainbow banner is displayed prominently at the White House, the same applies.

It could be the right moment to acknowledge that “Pride” is no longer a grassroots initiative essential for securing civil rights and combating oppression. When your government allocates taxpayer funds to engage in a month-long celebration, it might be time to shift your concerns away from feelings of oppression — at least not in any official capacity. Instead, perhaps you should be more concerned about your movement getting infiltrated by radical individuals, seemingly determined to reenact some of humanity’s most unpleasant instincts, potentially leading you to become the oppressors.