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Happy Pride Anthony,
June is Pride Month. A whole month dedicated to the LGBTQ community, our families, friends and allies in celebration of our Rosa Parks moment, the Stonewall Riots on the 28 June, 1969.
Pride Month is more than a celebration. It’s a powerful reminder of the journey so many of us have taken—from shame to authenticity, from silence to visibility, and from oppression to liberation.
"PRIDE is a beacon of hope for those still living in shame. Every time we march, speak out, or simply live authentically, we shine a light into the dark places where shame still hides. For those who’ve been silenced by religion, family, or fear, Pride says, ‘You are not alone—and there’s nothing wrong with you.’”
— Anthony Venn-Brown OAM, Ambassadors & Bridge Builders International (ABBI)
As a teenager in the 1960s, I lived in secret. There was no Pride Month, no gay liberation, only shame, secrecy and fear. This foundation sent my life on a trajectory lasting over two decades.
As a high-profile Pentecostal preacher in Australia’s megachurches, I was delivering sermons to 1,000s every Sunday while silently struggling with my sexuality and true identity. I fasted, prayed, endured conversion “therapy,”, and exorcisms—all in a desperate attempt to NOT be gay.
In 1991, after decades of internal torment, I came out.
I resigned from ministry, lost friends, livelihood, and more and stepped into a new world—one that would eventually become the most honest and freeing chapter of my life.
My initial coming out was not with a sense of pride but reluctant acceptance. It would take several more years before I could fully break free from the deeply entrenched internalised shame and self-loathing that had ruled my life.
After sharing my story in A Life of Unlearning, and ever since, I’ve worked to help others find their way out of that same darkness.
Read and share why PRIDE is healing, a liberator and a beacon of hope
HERE.
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