“When all Americans are treated as equal, no matter who they are or whom they love, we are all more free.” -- President Barack Obama
Every June, members of the LGBTQ+ community come together in celebration and commemoration of both the history and the future of a social movement that has taken the world by storm since the 1969 Stonewall Riots. In the 57 years that have passed, the LGBTQ+ community has experienced both massive gains and heart-wrenching losses. For every law passed granting marriage equality and protection against institutionalized bigotry, there exist hate crimes, murders and political restrictions that bring us a step backwards.
After the Orlando massacre, Pride Month is more vital than ever, the freedom of self-expression and association no longer just a mere desire, but a necessity. Identity is such a core part of the LGBTQ+ community because for so long our voices were silenced, our feelings internalized and our right to love inhibited. Pride Month is a fundamental component of our country's social culture, an observance of the lives sacrificed for our freedom to be ourselves, in our purest and most authentic forms.
The rights of the LGBTQ+ community were all, but nonexistent 57 years ago. We could not marry. We could not adopt children. We could not show signs of public affection, the same way heterosexual couples did. We could not visit our significant others in hospitals as their partner or designee. We could be discriminated against by housing landlords because of our sexual orientation. We could be fired from or denied a job position because of who we loved. We could be discharged from the armed forces for disclosure of our sexual orientation. We could be deferred from donating blood. All this, out of ignorance and the fear of relationships and attractions others could not understand.
Pride Month not only looks backwards at where we started, but presently at the achievements made. President Obama has officially become the first standing president to utter the words "bisexual" and "transgender." Marriage equality has been officially passed in all 50 states (whether or not the states abide by that is another story). Legal actions have been taken against hate crimes and reparative therapies. We have seen more and more representation in popular culture, from magazine covers to out-and-proud actors and musicians to the portrayal of same-sex couples on both the small and silver screens (I'm looking right at you, "HTGAWM" Connor Walsh and "OITNB" Sophia Burset ). More than half of the US population is in favor of gay marriage and LGBTQ+ equality.
Yet, what worries me most is the other 50 percent. What scares me are that people would much rather see two men with guns pointed at one another rather than holding hands. What frightens me is that states like North Carolina have not only legalized, but encouraged anti-transgender bathroom policies, treating these human beings as less than. What enrages me is that our country has accepted blatant homophobia and fear mongering as a reality, rather than a vile anomaly. For every politician or Westboro Baptist Church member or Average Joe and Average Jane that denounces members of the LGBTQ+ community as "less than," we have one more reason why we need Pride Month.
Pride Month not only provides a sense of unity and acceptance, but it encourages our sexual and gender identities rather than simply "tolerating" them. It validates our feelings and emotional desires as more than a "phase" or "unnatural" element of human nature, rather an essence of the whole. We as humans are not defined by our sexualities -- we are so much more than who we love. Pride Month does not single us out by our sexual preferences or gender identifications, but rather celebrates this portion of ourselves that for too long has been belittled, violated and dismissed.
Pride Month may be presented by the media as a time for rainbow flags and drag queens and public parades, but it is much more than that. It serves as a giant middle finger to every individual, establishment and government entity that have tried to silence our voices, restrict our protests and enforce who we can and ought to love. Pride Month is about love, in its purest and most unadulterated form. A love that, no matter what any legislation or bigot has to say, is 100 percent valid.
