“Pride isn’t a performance. It’s a practice.”
That line came late in the night, but it felt like the heartbeat of it all.
In this deeply honest Kornerz Live, Khalil (a straight ally and co-founder) and Rich (a gay man sharing his personal evolution) wrapped up Pride Month not with pomp, but with purpose.
If you missed it, this conversation wasn’t a recap of parades.
It was a reckoning.
It was laughter, tenderness, discomfort, and clarity.
It was two friends — two founders — meeting at the edge of truth.
🟢 The Good: Visibility, Voice & the Growth Within
Rich shared how this was the first year he celebrated Pride in a way that felt public. He spoke candidly about growing up behind layers of silence — and how Substack, Kornerz, and community have helped him slowly drop the mask.
“I used to celebrate privately. I never said ‘my husband’ out loud. I still struggle with it at work.”
We talked about how queer joy is still radical — especially in small towns and quiet lives. From Queer Eye to local Pride parades, the world is changing. Not everywhere. Not perfectly. But clearly.
Khalil reflected on this shift too:
“It’s not that the community is growing. It’s that more people finally feel safe enough to be seen.”
And that’s a win.
🔴 The Bad: Rainbow-Washing, Political Games & Surface-Level Allyship
As quickly as some progress is made, backlash comes. Rich and Khalil pulled no punches when naming the dark undercurrent: anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, companies using Pride as marketing cover, and people still afraid to show who they love.
“They say ‘you’re so brave,’ when I’m just trying to hold my partner’s hand.”
We talked about how DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) initiatives are being erased under political pressure. How corporate “support” often stops at a rainbow logo. And how trans lives, in particular, are being pushed back into shadows.
Rich shared his own growth — confronting long-held stereotypes, learning from trans friends, and seeing clearly how ignorance, not evil, fuels so much of the pushback.
“It’s not contagious,” he said. “It’s not a virus. It’s just humanity, showing up in a different form.”
⚫ The Ugly Truth: Globally, It’s Still Not Safe
This wasn’t just an American conversation. Khalil, calling in from Brazil, reminded us that for many around the world, living openly is still life-threatening.
We named the privileges we hold — and the responsibility to speak out for those who can’t.
It’s not enough to celebrate in June.
“How do we hold joy here while others are in hiding?”
That’s the question we carry forward.
🟣 The Becoming: What Pride Means Now
Pride isn’t a month. It’s a way of life. A rhythm we build, daily.
Kornerz was built to hold that rhythm. Not just in Rainbow Connection, but in every Korner where people gather as their full selves.
We’re not building a platform. We’re building a sanctuary.
And you’re invited.
“If you’re dealing with it,” Rich said, “there are 15 others out there dealing with the same thing. You’re not alone.”
We ended this live by holding space for the small, often invisible practices that build a more inclusive world: speaking truth gently, asking better questions, choosing courage over comfort, and honoring each other’s becoming.
❤️ Final Words from the Founders
“You are loved. You are not alone. And you belong — right here, in Kornerz.”
Whether you’re still saying my friend instead of my boyfriend...
Whether you’re a straight ally figuring out how to show up more fully...
Whether you’ve never posted a rainbow but feel this movement in your bones...
There’s space for you in this becoming.
Join the conversation.
Come into the Rainbow Connection Korner.
Let’s build the world we deserve — one story, one safe room, one spark at a time.
Replay:
Join the Movement: Download the Kornerz App and become part of the most alive, human-first community online.
See you in the Loop.
🫶
— Rich, Khalil & The Rainbow Connection Team
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