The month of June was chosen to be Pride Month to commemorate the Stonewall Riots, which were in late June of 1969. Since then, June has been a month to celebrate everything the LGBT community is and has accomplished.
The LGBT community is something I'm so proud to be a part of. It's love. It realizes that we are all different and wonderful people, and we are brought together by our quest for equality and our celebration of love.
Pride means something to everything. To some, it's being able to be yourself in a community that might otherwise be unaccepting. To others, it's the culture that many dominantly LGBT areas have created. To me, it's a lot of things.
Pride to me is everything that my LGBT friends and allies have fought for. It's the people at Stonewall, angry and tired of not being treated like human beings because of something they can't change. It's the years and years of protesting and advocating that finally led to the United States Supreme Court declaring marriage equality for all in 2015.
It's the greats, old and new, who have been a beacon for the community. Role models and legends such as Lady Bunny, Rupaul, David Bowie, George Michael, Harvey Milk, Laverne Cox, and so many others.
Pride is all the work these people have done so that I can marry who I choose, and live whatever life I choose. Pride is all the work I still have left to do: conversion therapy, hate crimes, and so many other things that we still struggle with.
You may ask why there is no straight pride. Or ask why we even celebrate now that we have marriage. To that, I say that straight people are more than welcome to come join our pride and celebrate all that we have worked for, and hopefully recognize that they have never had to work for the right for a man to marry a woman. We celebrate to remember all that has been done, and to remember all that we lost to get here.
Happy Pride Month everyone, may you all live your best lives.
