This June has been riddled with horrific tragedies, particularly the the largest mass shooting to date at the Pulse nightclub, as well as the shooting of former Voice contestant Christina Grimmie. Both of these crimes took place in Orlando, and both were driven by hate, fear, and targeted violence -- specifically the shooting at Pulse, a gay nightclub that advocated for the LGBTQ community. Our prayers and hearts go out to the families affected by these tragedies, and even though those words have been said about too many incidents in the past year, they are sincere every time.
June is referred to as Pride Month, during which we celebrate the LGBTQ community and their journey to equality. It commemorates the Stonewall Riots of 1969 and, most recently, the legalization of gay marriage. In the midst of all this violence, there could not be a better time to remind people that love always wins.
The road to equality has been plagued with setbacks and discrimination. Before gay culture was recognized in society (pre-Stonewall) same sex couples were forced into the corners of society, keeping their relationships and personal lives quiet and hidden from the public sphere. This was not just for fear of judgement: homosexuality was considered a mental illness, and "patients" sent to institutions were often subjected to inhumane forms of "therapy," such as electroshock treatment.
With counterculture at its peak, Stonewall was the community's battle cry against authority that resulted in a riot. Attendees of the Stonewall Inn, a popular nightclub and restaurant, began throwing stones and coins on officers arresting club-goers in an unanticipated raid. The scuffle between those from Stonewall and the police came from a place of repression, and the desire to protect and establishment that supported the gay community. One year later, the Gay Pride marches began, and gay rights activists formed a more cohesive community, advocating for rights publicly and forcefully.
Through out the seventies and eighties, the gay community progressed very slowly in terms of gaining equality and visibility. However, in the late eighties and early nineties, the community was thrust into the spotlight during the HIV/AIDS crisis. Because the disease was discovered prevalently in homosexual men, it was introduced as the "gay plague" by bigots with an agenda. In response to the often inaccurate reports of the disease and how it is transmitted, celebrities and scientists teamed up to show that anyone could get this virus, and adamantly defended the LGBTQ community. Vast social movements also came out of the HIV/AIDS scare, such as better sex education programs in public schools and the case of Ryan White was highly publicized.
Today, we've come a long way. We can now celebrate the achievements of the LGBTQ community without fear, knowing that discrimination and marriage equality are protected under federal law. Same sex couples can walk hand in hand without getting arrested or thrown into an asylum. There are celebrities, politicians, and other accomplished professionals that identify as queer -- Ellen DeGeneres, Lea DeLaria, and Laverne Cox, to name a few -- that have forwarded the fight for social justice in their own right. However, we still have a long way to go. Many states don't recognize sex and gender discrimination as law, and closed minded people with poor education run rampant in our neighborhood and government. But the spirit of the LGBTQ people is not broken, because love has already won, and it always will.
