True Colors by Cyndi Lauper

By Korie Houston 

“It’s hard to take courage

In a world full of people

You can lose sight of it all

And the darkness inside you

Can make you feel so small.”

Hi Gays, happy Pride Month. For June I thought it’d be the most fitting to do Cyndi Lauper’s emotional anthem about accepting vulnerability and embracing who you are and all you can be. I’ve found comfort in this song over the years as I’ve embraced myself and hope my words can spark the reminder that we share a lot of heart within this community.

“But I see your true colors

Shining through

I see your true colors

And that’s why I love you”

I’ve worked in our resident gayborhood going on 10 years. I’ve seen so much change and evolution. One thing I’ve seen blossom in this community is how people continue to show up for one another. Whether it’s through mutual aid, marching for our trans siblings or just showcasing what love looks like in so many forms of chosen family, that’s what Pride is always about. The liberation, love and light that we share. Celebrating Pride in Hillcrest helped teach me what it means to love something greater than myself.

“Show me a smile then

Don’t be unhappy, can’t remember when 

I last saw you laughing”

Truth be told as much as I yearn to celebrate authenticity, Pride also can feel lonely. I can’t be the only person who feels that way. True Colors is as melancholic as it is a song about showing yourself to the world. Being out and proud of who I am does take its toll at the same time. This song is a reminder that embracing the good is as important as embracing the messier parts. 

“If this world makes you crazy

And you’ve taken all you can bear

You call me up

Because you know I’ll be there”

The lyrics are constant echoes of knowing when to show up for yourself and for others. The message I’ve gathered over the years is that no matter where you go, especially during Pride, it’s our opportunity to light up a smile on one another’s faces. Outside of the glitter and the rainbows there’s beauty to be found and celebrated. 

“So don’t be afraid to let them show

Your true colors

True colors are beautiful

Like a rainbow”

What Cyndi Lauper, this community and myself have in common is this desire to be unapologetically radical in the pursuit of happiness. I came out to everyone in my life and I’ve never looked back. Going to Pride gave me the ability to find a voice I never knew I had. 

In this neighborhood I have so many people to thank for showing me the meaning of True Colors. Some from the past, some no longer with us and those who I have yet to meet. Embracing oneself is all I can ask of everyone as we celebrate another year of basking in our truth.