Pride 2018

Pride was back for another year, and I had made plans with my friends for all the different events we’d try to attend.

As was tradition, I was planning on hosting my annual Pride party on the Saturday, the one I had nicknamed #SPride.

I had been spending a lot of time with Ian and he was getting accustomed to spending time with my group of friends.

I thought this could be a good year for Ian to get an official invite to #SPride. The spirit of Pride weekend was always “the more the merrier”, so this was a natural fit.

I wasn’t even sure if Ian would want to come to this party. He always had plans with his friends and would have multiple events to attend. But he told me he’d swing by.

Ian mingled effortlessly with the other party guests. When it came time to bring the party out to the streets and into the Village, he gladly came along. Giving up the rest of his night to spend time with me.

Every year at this party, we would end the night at Buddies, a dance party at a local theatre, just off Church Street.

We got to the dance floor and something had changed. Maybe it was all the time we had spent together. Maybe it was the introduction of Rita. Maybe it was the free atmosphere of Pride. But I just went in and gave Ian a kiss. A big long kiss. And then more, right there on the dancefloor. In full view of my entire friend circle.

Yes, this was our coming out to our friends that we were more than friends. But this was also our coming out to ourselves that we were more than just friends.  This moment completely changed the status of who we were together.

A couple days later we sat down and talked about it, and yes, we were officially now dating.