Well, it finally happened.

Someone looked at Pride Month and thought:

“You know what this needs? A competing holiday.”

Thus Fidelity Month was born.

Or at least declared.

Or announced.

Or whatever the official governmental term is for creating a month that nobody was asking for.

Now before anyone gets upset, let me clarify something.

I have absolutely no problem with fidelity.

In fact, I’m generally in favor of people keeping promises.

It’s a solid life strategy.

The part I find amusing is the timing.

Because every time somebody creates an alternative observance specifically to avoid acknowledging another group, they accidentally answer the question of whether that group still needs recognition.

It’s a bit like saying:

“I don’t have a problem with you, but I’ve created an entire month to avoid talking about you.”

That’s not the flex people think it is.

Pride Month exists because for a very long time LGBT people weren’t allowed to exist openly.

Not comfortably.

Not legally.

Not safely.

Openly.

People lost jobs.

Lost careers.

Lost families.

Lost homes.

Lost military service.

Lost their lives.

The entire reason Pride exists is because society once decided certain people were unacceptable.

So when someone responds by creating an alternative month, my first reaction isn’t anger.

It’s confusion.

Because if Pride no longer mattered, nobody would be spending this much effort trying to replace it.

Imagine creating “Gravity Appreciation Month” because you’re upset people are celebrating aviation.

That’s not how this works.

One thing doesn’t erase the other.

The irony is that many of the people supporting these alternative observances would probably agree with the actual values most LGBT people hold.

Loyalty.

Commitment.

Family.

Responsibility.

Love.

Those aren’t exactly radical concepts.

Most of us are just trying to pay our bills, walk the dog, and figure out why the check-engine light came on again.

The political rhetoric would have you believe we’re all plotting the collapse of civilization.

In reality, we’re trying to remember whether we have enough milk in the refrigerator.

As I get older, I’ve become increasingly convinced that visibility itself is the protest.

Not yelling.

Not arguing.

Not social media fistfights.

Just existing.

Being the veteran.

Being the nurse.

Being the neighbor.

Being the friend.

Being the guy who shows up to help move a couch.

Eventually people realize you’re not some mysterious “other.”

You’re just another person trying to navigate life.

And that realization is far more powerful than any proclamation.

So congratulations on Fidelity Month.

I’m sure it will be remembered alongside all the other historic observances that nobody can quite explain six months later.

Meanwhile, June is still Pride Month.

Not because a politician says so.

Not because a corporation changes a logo.

Not because a parade rolls down Main Street.

But because history happened.

And history doesn’t disappear simply because someone would rather celebrate something else.

My dog remains blissfully unaware of all of this.

He judges people exclusively on whether they provide snacks and ear scratches.

My mom eventually reached a similar conclusion.

Honestly, they both seem happier for it. ▌