June is finally here, and you know what that means! Other than the fact that school's out for everyone in high school and younger, it's Pride Month!! That's right, it's that time of year again for all the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and everyone else on the LGBT spectrum to celebrate how far they have come regarding their rights in our country. While Pride is an amazing time of year for lots of people, there are still lots of things about Pride that many allies tend to forget every year on that magical month of June. So, here are a few tips for our cishet (cisgender heterosexual) friends to be a better ally this Pride Month.
1. Keep in mind that the first pride was a riot against police brutality.
The first Pride was known as the Stonewall Riots in 1969 when the New York City Police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club that was located on New York City's Christopher Street. Once the police invaded the club, patrons and local sympathizers began to riot against the police department. Marsha P. Johnson, a trans sex worker of colour and LGBT rights activist, was one of the most prominent figures of the Stonewall Riots and was known as the "mayor of Christopher Street" since the riots.
2. Always ask for consent before taking pictures of someone.
This seems like an obvious one because consent before taking pictures should be the bare minimum for any public event, whether it's a parade, a convention or any other event where a lot of people will be there. One of the best parts of Pride is that it is a safe space for the LGBT+ community to express themselves and an escape from unaccepting family or unfriendly workplaces, and those people will not be thrilled when those pictures end up being on social media. It's also a matter of basic respect for others.
3. Don't speculate on the genders of someone at pride.
There are many gender non-conforming people that will be at Pride, since it is part of the LGBT+ spectrum. That means there will be a lot of people that will not be cis-passing. Speculating someone's gender if you're not sure is one of the most disrespectful thing you can do to a gender non-conforming person. The best thing you can do if you're not sure is to refer to them by they/them pronouns if you're not sure. If they correct you, just correct yourself.
4. Remember that pride is not a time to get drunk and have a party with friends.
Keep in mind that you are a guest in our space. When you invade these spaces and make them about you, the meaning for these spaces is thrown out the window and you end up making yourselves look like arrogant assholes in the long run. Pride is supposed to be a time to support all your LGBT+ siblings who have fought as long and hard as they have for the last several decades in a world filled with people that are still unsupportive of LGBT+ individuals. Don't make this time about you.
5. Don't ignore the sexualities and gender identities that don't get as much recognition.
Asexual, pansexual, non-binary, demisexual, and many others on the spectrum are often ignored when it comes to LGBT+ acceptance. They have to deal with being constantly ignored by most of society and seeing people continually ignore them during Pride month can be much harder on them. Acknowledging their existence can take a lot of weight off their shoulders and can make them feel welcome in a space where they were supposed to feel welcome, to begin with.
6. Support your LGBT+ siblings throughout the year, not just in June.
June is really the time to commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in 1969, and your LGBT+ siblings should be supported during every day of the year. The LGBT+ community have to deal with hardships every day of the year, especially in today's political climate, so they would need as much love and support as they can during the entire year, not just in the month of June.
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