Be gay, just don’t act gay (and other words I hope my daughter never hears) – Skagwaynews
By Melinda Munson
It was a beautiful gesture. Decadent chocolate and vanilla cupcakes topped with vanilla rainbow buttercream in honor of Pride Month, available at Lucy’s Bakery for $3.50. That’s $1.50 less than normal as owner Sarah Williamson decreed June cupcake month, making June 2021 my favorite month so far in Skagway, and Williamson my favorite person.
But alas, the multi-colored confections were too much for a few Skagway Bulletin Board members and what should have been fun and celebratory turned petty.
“Wow, they get a whole month, us vets get a DAY? Something wrong with this country,” one user wrote. “…Quit shoving it down my throat and making it seem like you are more important than the person next to you.”
“Okay, I’m confused, is it CUPCAKE month or pride month?” another user wrote. (I added punctuation to both quotes for clarity.)
And so began the Great Cupcake Controversy of June 5, 2021. The post eventually garnered 78 comments, spawning additional online conversations on personal accounts and private groups.
A large majority of the comments on Bulletin Board were in support of the mini cakes and in extension, Skagway’s LGTBQ community. The sparse negative comments were a trigger for me, the mother of a gay daughter.
Our oldest came out when she was 14, just about to start high school. I cried when she confirmed what I already knew. Not because I was disappointed or thought she was going to hell, but because I suddenly knew how very difficult her life would be.
We waited to tell our extended family. Although we’ve distanced ourselves from the religion, my husband and I were both raised Mormon. No one on either side of our families is openly gay.
Eventually, I informed the person I had been most dreading. They asked me to repeat myself. I did. They looked confused.
“Well, it’s okay to be be gay if you’re never in a relationship,” they said.
“That’s not what I want for my child,” I replied. We never spoke about it again.
In response to the Facebook hullabaloo, someone phoned in an anonymous gift certificate to Lucy’s Bakery. My oldest enjoyed some free treats and all the pride cupcakes sold out. That’s why I love this town with $5 avocados and no movie theater.
I will wholeheartedly celebrate vets next May, during Military Appreciation Month. But since it’s June, I’ll watch the fabulous drag show, play trivia hosted by one of my favorite lesbians and eat two, three, maybe 12 discounted cupcakes while they last. Happy Pride Month.