June is National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month and the Pride parades have kicked off across the world. Many celebrations have already taken place, and there are still more to follow. San Francisco Pride, for example, takes place on June 27th-28th, and according to sfpride.org, their mission is to educate the world, commemorate LGBT heritage, and celebrate LGBT culture and liberation. The theme is "equality without exception," and I could not think of a better motto to celebrate thousands of people gathering to take a stand for Pride.

Pride is so much more than just a parade. It is a chance for people in the LGBT community and supporters of them to come together to proclaim and celebrate who they are. It is truly amazing to see hundreds of thousands of people gather to accept and support each other, and to let them know they are not in this alone. After seeing friends and family members attend Pride in the past, I know this is a time they look forward to all year and a place for them to feel unconditional love. Many celebrities and major companies have openly displayed their support for Pride as well, including Channing Tatum, Google, Nordstrom, Target, and more.

However, when members of the LGBT community do not feel supported, they feel the need to hide who they are. LGBT members still receive extreme discrimination, unfair treatment in the labor force, and have the highest rates of attempted suicide. Same-sex marriage is still illegal in 13 states, proving that our country still has a long way to go before we reach equality.

In this powerful video from The GAP's #GotYourBack campaign they explain, "We've been marching towards marriage equality across the entire country; however, there are still many issues that need to be addressed." This Pride month, it is important for us to recognize the effects our words and actions have toward an entire group of people.

"This isn't a fight just for the LGBT community. This is a fight against discrimination as a whole."