HAPPY PRIDE FROM JOCKSTRAP CENTRAL

Here's wishing everyone a happy and safe Pride!

As most of you know, Jockstrap Central is owned and operated by myself (John) and husband Adrian. We've just passed our 15 year anniversary of when we first met, we call it our boinkiversary. We'll be celebrating our seventh year of marriage in July and Jockstrap Central is now in it's fourteenth year of business. The fact that Adrian and I can live and work together 24/7 and haven't killed each other yet we're still going strong is a testament to our relationship. Jockstrap Central truly is a labor of love. Yes, it's hard work (and this time, no pun intended) but we love every moment of it.

Beyond having found each other and being able to work together, we also feel very lucky that we live in Toronto, one of the most gay positive and diverse cities in the world. If you haven't been here, you're missing out. Yay Raptors!

This is where I normally say a few positive things about the LGBTQ progress we've made despite the normal set backs but I'm not sure I can say that confidentially this year. It's the third year anniversary of Pulse, there are protesters showing up and causing altercations at Pride events in the USA and even here in Canada. I've just watched a three day Make America Straight Again conference live streamed on Youtube where a bunch of mostly sad guys who can't get laid celebrated Pulse and talked about putting gays to death (YouTube has to figure out a faster way to respond to reports of hate speech!). With far-right conservatism popping up everywhere it seems and Donald Trump's enable-ism, it's all pretty scary.

But... we have to do our part to combat this trend. Where we can, we have to be visible and we have to support our local Pride events and we have to support each other and we have to VOTE! Here in Toronto, I personally have some issues with our local Pride organization and I was planning on not attending Pride this year but after watching that live stream, watching a far-right group cause problems in Hamilton (a community right next door to Toronto) and reading Joe Jervis' annual Pride rant on Joe My God (my favorite gay culture and politics website) we will be down at Pride this weekend being a part of a whole, celebrating our progress, supporting our brothers and sisters and being VISIBLE.

On a more positive note. Global Support for Gay Rights is Growing, Pete Buttigieg (love him!), 16 States have now banned gay conversion therapy, Gay Marriage is now legal in Ecuador, Tawain, Austria and Costa Rica (in 2020) plus Toronto's Mayor John Tory is still pretty awesome. That is at least a little bit of fairy dust to keep us going.

Finally, all our love and gratitude to our customers and fans who have supported us over these past fourteen years. Be proud of who you are, be true to yourself, treat each other with dignity and respect, be out and proud where you can and most importantly, be safe.

XOXO,
John and Adrian.