I marched in my unicorn costume in the Park City Fourth of July parade, as I did for the past four years. This year, because Summit Pride didn’t have a float, I joined friends on the KPCW float instead. On the lower part of Main Street, a man in his 30s loudly booooed me and said the American fla g and rainbow flag don’t belong together. Here are my two takeaways. First, I live in a bubble — and I realize now it’s a bubble I’ve created in my mind. I move through this community assuming that diversity and inclusion are the norm, and that the people around me are open‑minded. I’ve been walking around believing that even when we disagree, we talk, we listen, and we respect our differences. This experience was a wake-up call: My perception isn’t always accurate, and not everyone holds those values. Second, for the past three years I walked with Summit Pride in the parade. Those years, I walked alongside with other unicorns wrapped in rainbow flags. All I heard was cheering, clapping and saw smiling faces. Moving as a visible community was a shield. It’s harder to single someone out when they’re surrounded by community. This year, without the Summit Pride float, I felt how exposed one person can be. In that moment, it felt like he could have grabbed the American flag from my hand and told me to walk on the sidewalk. I’m not personally offended, and I’m not sad or upset. It was a reality check, and I wanted to share these reflections.  Ceylan Sonmez  Park City The post Reality check appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less