Out, Proud & Loud: Everything You Should Know about Pride Month 2022

Historically Proud: The History of Pride Month ❤

“Statistically, in recent years, LGBTQ people here have been less safe than ever. In England and Wales, anti-LGBTQ hate crimes rose every year in the five financial years up to 2021, according to officialgovernmentstatistics. Earlier this year, three people were convicted in the homophobic murder of Gary Jenkins, a bisexual man, in Cardiff, Wales. LGBTQ spaces have also been targeted. A few years ago in Cumbria, a white supremacist was jailed for his plot to carry out a ‘slaughter’ at a gay pride night. In 2016, 49 people were killed in Orlando at the LGBTQ nightclub Pulse — exactly where they were supposed to be safe.” –Ella Braidwood, The unbridled joy of queer bars

I often fight with people on social media when it comes to posts about LGBTQ+ issues. The amount of hate, bigotry, disinformation, prejudice, and religious righteousness I see angers me to no end. And as I said, I’m a cis white female who has never had to experience what it’s like to grapple with my identity and sexual orientation. I read a lot of articles, and I see tons of comments on these articles like, “If there’s a Pride month, why can’t we get a straight month!” or “I’m tired of having all this Pride stuff shoved in my face!” or “Pride is just pushing the left agenda – it’s all about control!” But this is EXACTLY why we need Pride and to learn about its historical context. Many people seem to think Pride is all about rainbows, glitter, wild parties, and risque outfits – and nothing more. But they couldn’t be further from the truth.

的Stonewall Inn

石墙酒吧,这一历史性仍然存在c landmark today, was a popular gay bar in Greenwich Village, New York City. On 28 June 1969, police raided the bar – packed with gay, lesbian, and transgender customers – and tried to put some of the customers and workers in the back of police vans (transgender people were especially targeted because it was illegal back then for anyone to “cross-dress”). But tired of being harassed by law enforcement, the LGBT community at Stonewall Inn that night began to fight back, leading to riots that lasted until July 3, which set off a new era of resistance and revolution.

While there were gay rights organizations fighting for change before the Stonewall Riots, these fights were more passive in nature. What happened at Stonewall was visceral, physical, and loud, andit marked a watershed moment for the gay rights movement. In the post-World War II era, there was a rise in anti-homosexual attitudes and policies,born out of a fearthat “deviant sexual behavior” was like “deviant political ideology.” Thousands of people suspected to be homosexual lost their jobs, and at this point, all 50 US states criminalized same-sex sexual activities. Furthermore, the American Psychiatric Association classified homosexuality as a mental disorder in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (thankfully, this was removed in the early 1970s).

After the Stonewall Rebellion, an activist suggested thatnationwide demonstrations should be held each Juneto honor and commemorate what happened at Stonewall.

Here’s a short YouTube clip about the Stonewall 50th anniversary and the tremendous impact it had on shaping the course of LGBT history:

On Netflix, you can watch的Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnsonto learn more about the impact of the Stonewall Riots and her life as a trans activist, including howthe trans community is still extremely marginalized today, even within the LGBTQ+ community. It’s an eye-opening documentary, and it personally helped me understand why JK Rowling, withher stance on biological sex,是非常伤害ful to the trans community. You can also check outPray Awayon Netflix, which explores the impact of Christianity on the LGBTQ+ community.

Christopher Street Liberation Day

As a result of the Stonewall riots,New York had its first Pride parade in June 1970, also known as the Christopher Street Liberation Day. The parade, in the form of a march, began on Christopher Street, where the Stonewall Inn is located. Other Gay Pride marches were held at the same time in Chicago and Los Angeles. Theseparades signaled a fight for equal gay rights and visibility of the gay community, and more cities and towns began holding their own parades to support gay rights in the following years.

“The marches were among the first highly visible public events for people to express their gay sexuality and for allies to have an opportunity to support the gay people in their lives.” –Evelynn Hammonds, chair of the Department of the History of Science at Harvard University.

LGBTQ Pride Today

In 2009, 40 years after the Stonewall riots, then-US President Barack Obama declared June 2009 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. Ironically, it was only in 2011 when the same-sex marriage act was signed into law in New York. Most recently, President Joe Biden declared June 2022 LGBTQI+ Pride Month.

Ageneral definition of LGBTQ pride(also known as gay pride) is “the promotion of the self-affirmation, dignity, equality, and increased visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people as a social group.” Pride is celebrated annually (typically in June, although different countries can and do celebrate it at different times throughout the year) and includes various activities such as parades, parties, concerts, and symposia. There are also memorials to remember LGBTQ+ persons killed because of hate crimes. The overall purpose of Pride Month is torecognize and acknowledge the contributions LGBTQ+ individuals have made throughout history. It’s also an opportunity for LGBTQ+ individuals to express themselves and their culture and gain visibility, especially in communities where they are typically shunned or looked down upon.

Quick fact: Thom Higgins, a gay rights activist, coined the term “Gay Pride.”

的wonderful thing about Pride events is that they are inclusive and open to anyone. So while they are designed for those identifying outside what is deemed “mainstream,” straight people and allies can absolutely join too. However, if you’re a straight person attending Pride Month events, it’s important that you’re not just there because you like a good party –you should be an ally and participate in meaningful conversations. The LGBTQ+ community continues to face persecution and discrimination, ranging from slurs and attacks toconversion-therapycamps and even the death penalty. Therefore, you need to be mindful of the true meaning of Pride and how you can play your part in advancing the rights and dignity of the LGBTQ+ community.

Pride started as a political movement, and it should be remembered as such. It is very easy to get lost in the glitz and party atmosphere of Pride, but you should remember that you are there to protest against the injustices the LGBTQ+ community continues to face. Source: Tri-State Alliance, Facebook

Pride Month June 2022

骄傲月2022从星期三,6月1日,Thursday, 30 June. You’ve probably noticed a lot of companies and brands virtue-signaling these past few weeks by changing the colors of their logos to therainbowor running campaigns that are way off the mark, like BurgerKing in Austria that introduced their Pride WHOPPER^TM(seriously, just check out the comments from the LGBTQ+ community on why this is problematic).

That’s why I want to hammer the message home:Don’t be a virtue signaler!If you want to participate in Pride events, go for it, but make sure you’re doing it out of a genuine interest in and care for raising awareness about the issues the LGBTQ+ community faces. Andwhen you’re an ally, you should be an ally all year round, not only when everyone is watching! If you’re going to be an ally, make sure you’re a good ally.Check out our post onhow to be a good ally!

Here are some important dates for Pride Month:

• 5 June: HIV Long-Term Survivors Day.
• 12 June: Pulse Remembrance Day to remember those we lost in the2016 mass shooting at Pulse nightclub, an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Orlando, Florida.
• 26 June: Anniversary of theObergefell v. Hodgesruling, which honors the legalization of same-sex marriage in the US.
• 27 June: National HIV Testing Day.
• 28 June: The Stonewall Riots Anniversary.
• 30 June: Queer Youth of Faith Day to celebrate queer youth from different religious backgrounds.

Many companies just virtue signal or “Rainbow Wash” during Pride Month. BurgerKing missed the mark with their Pride Month campaign. Source: CNN

Pride Month US 2022

A proclamation on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Pride Month, 2022 –的White House

We all know how influential and powerful the United States is. That’s why it’s sad (and horrifying) to see how a supposedly progressive and first-world country grapples with issues like gun laws, abortion (Roe v. Wade), and LGBTQ+ rights. In a2020 report by the FBI, it was revealed that almost 17% of hate crimes were based on sexual orientation. Moreover, the report also reveals that there was a growth in gender identity-based hate crimes between 2018 and 2019. The trans community, in particular, is highly susceptible to hate crimes. There are still states in the US that don’t include gender or sexual identity under their hate crime laws (so let’s hope the平等法案comes into being!). And the hate crimes aren’t even the tip of the iceberg – people from the LGBTQ+ community face aplethora of other issues,including the right to adopt, access to housing, the right to equal healthcare, the right to access public spaces, conversion therapy, and acceptance.

It’s a lot. And it’s no wonder why people of the LGBTQ+ community are at increased risks of depression,suicidality, and substance abuse. Once again, this is WHY Pride exists, and it is why you should be an LGBTQ+ ally and attend events, like Pride, whenever you can.

“The passage of the Equality Act would be an important milestone and affirmation, to be sure, but in the future I would like to see more solidarity between queers in the global West and queers in the rest of the world. While many people believe that North America and Europe are relative safe havens for queer people, the fact is that the oppressions faced by queers in the non-Western world are often the direct result of oppressive laws and sexual/gender norms that were introduced by Western colonizers, and that have since been exacerbated by neocolonial economic and political conditions.” –Dustin Friedman, associate professor at the American University