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Opinion

Let’s Talk About Pride on This Week’s Open Thread

As we do every Friday, we're turning Racket over to you, the readers.

11:50 AM CDT on June 26, 2026

TC Pride

It's Pride weekend here in Minnesota, and that means parties, parades, celebrations, events, and lotsa rainbows.

And it should! But it can also be a time for reflection on gender and sexuality, on the struggle for LGBTQ+ rights, and on other more somber matters.

When Lavender Magazine closed up shop this week, the decision was oddly framed as though equality had been achieved and there were no more fights on the horizon. This morning, we ran a rebuttal with a more nuanced appraisal of the situation from leaders in the LGBTQ+ community.

As a common dishwater cis-straight, I'm hardly the one to say much on the subject. I obviously care about the future of my LGBTQ+ relatives and friends, but theirs are not my stories to tell.

So I'll quickly kick this question over to you at Open Thread. What does Pride mean to you? What are your plans for the weekend? How has your understanding of your gender and/or sexuality changed over time?

As always, feel free to ignore this prompt and talk about whatever you want. This is your Open Thread after all.

I'll be a little obvious with this week's outro song because Nile Rogers and Bernard Rogers were geniuses and goddamn listen to Tony Thompson's drums.

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