This week we’re proud to share writing on Pride and inclusivity from Woodlands Endurance Team member and all-around badass human Jessica Fisher (shown in the photo above). She relocated from the Bay Area with her wife Valerie (they’ve been together for 21 years & married for 18) for Val’s job with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival 3 years ago. In search of finding her own way & community in Southern OR, one of the places Jessica found it was with Woodlands Running Co. When not on the trails you can usually find her at Iron Haven Fitness or rowing out on Emigrant Lake with her rowing team Rogue Rowing.
While here in Southern Oregon, pride month isn’t celebrated until October, Pride is drawing to a close in most other places as we near the end of June. As someone who is very proudly out (if you didn’t know - you do now!), I’m often asked what Pride means to me. Is it marching in or watching a parade (can’t wait to do that again), wearing sequins & glitter, dancing in the streets? Absolutely! But to me, Pride also means community, loving who you want to love, and being not just accepted, but celebrated for who you are, no matter who or what that is. And I find all of those things every Thursday night when I show up for a group run with Women of Woodlands or for a race with Woodlands Running Company. It doesn’t matter how fast or slow I am, what kind of running shoes I’m wearing or if I’m feeling at the top of my game or that showing up to try & run was the most difficult thing I did that day. Yes, while the sequins & glitter are fun, or having the newest pair of Hoka’s, it’s so much more than that. I can run in silence & feel the support of those in front of me pulling me ahead or those beside me nudging me along. Or I can chat away the miles as they slip by relatively unnoticed.
I have been very lucky. I’ve always had the support of my family & friends. In fact, my parents were more supportive when I married my wife than when I married my ex-husband! (That’s a story for another time.) But there are so many who are not as fortunate. And so allyship, visibility & representation matter. Being an ally doesn’t mean having all the answers or being an expert in LGBTQ+ issues. It simply means you’re open to learning, willing to listen & when comfortable will lend your voice when mine can’t be heard. So many of us turn to sport as an outlet & for community. But if the place we wanted to turn to didn’t feel as safe as it could or we weren’t sure if we’d be fully accepted there, then what? Where do we go? We need allies to welcome us in.
So as Pride month draws to a close (& before it kicks off here in October), think about what Pride means to YOU and how much what you do & say can mean to someone else.
Stay safe. Stay home.