PRIDE MONTH

[fishy 1,757]

Pride month is here, and I (like many others) am eager to have a month dedicated to celebration of my personhood. This can be a really beautiful time for people to be happy & proud of their gender, sexuality, romantic interests, etc., and I am so thankful to live in a society where I can (relatively) safely express Queer identities.

 

Pride month is not simply a month of celebration - in fact, it can be a very traumatizing experience for individuals who don’t feel safe enough in their environment to come out. Many people - more than we know - are living in households, cities, states, or countries that pose a serious threat to individuals who don’t fit into the heteronormative or cisnormative constructs that we have created.

 

If you have never heard about these demonstrations, I strongly recommend that you check out this article by the History channel. The Stonewall riots were a response to the routine, discriminatory raids by police in queer spaces, specifically night clubs. Crossdressing was illegal during this time, and police would conduct abrupt and violating on-the-spot investigations of people who wore clothes that aligned with a gender that did not match their sex. Finally, after a particularly disgusting raid at the Stonewall Inn, Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, two trans women of color, "began" a revolutionary movement pushing for gay rights like the United States had never seen before.

 

Our month of Pride is rooted in decades of collective trauma among queer people, especially people of color. While the US has made some great movement toward equality and justice for these people, we still have a long way to go. Discrimination and oppression of Queer people, especially those who are not white or white-passing, still exist and run rampant all over the world. This, I’m sure, comes as no surprise to many people.

 

There are still countries where members of the LGBTQIA+ community are criminalized to various degrees - from the death penalty to imprisonment to conversion camps to fines, the world can be a very dangerous place for non-straight, non-monogamous, and non-cisgender people. Individuals and groups are collectively punished simply for existing in a way that doesn’t fit the mold we have created. It’s also important to note that colonialism has had a significant hand in creating these types of environments.

 

Human rights should not be political. It’s outrageous to me that humans are oppressing other humans because they exist differently, and people in power (both socially and politically) use that power to try to control things they have no right in doing so. Oppressed communities have to be loud about their existence because, as we’ve seen in the past, our systems want to snub those voices out.

 

It’s also worth noting that, fundamentally, you do not support the Black Lives Matter movement if you do not support Queer Black people. That’s not up for discussion.

 

The month of June is one of Pride and celebration while also a time for serious reflection about not just ourselves and the communities in which we live. It’s a great opportunity for learning, and I encourage everyone to do so. There is no “right” way to be Queer, and there are a lot of aspects of human life that fall under the category of queerness. Sexuality just scratches the surface.

 

As always, if you have questions about anything I’ve said in this post, questions that you are scared to ask but want the answer to, or just someone to talk to about these topics, my DMs are open (both on Discord and here on the forums). I will say that, if you’re looking to argue or fight, please don’t waste your time sending me a message. Finally, hateful comments won’t be tolerated.

 

Black lives matter. Queer lives matter. Spread more love.

Edited June 1, 2021 by fishy
i should proofread before i post things

[bigAL 2,176]

Perfectly said. The Stonewall riots are the best (but not only, unfortunately) example of why Pride month is necessary. GTFO with your “aLL LIvEs MaTtEr” or “wHeRe’S sTrAiGhT pRiDe MoNtH”. These months are recognition for people that have not been recognized historically. These months are celebrations of people who have been demonized historically. These months are markers of progress, measures of civility and civilization, and aren’t up for debate. Celebrating Pride not an opinion, it’s a truth. It might not be your truth, but you have to recognize that it is someone’s truth. 
 

And don’t forget Canadians, homophobia and racism happen here too. The Bathhouse Raids were a mass crackdown and arresting of gay people in Toronto... in 1981. Not ancient history. We’re (rightfully) focusing on residential schools this week but anti-gay laws and violence are part of our national Truth too. We can’t move forward without acknowledging the past, and we can’t appreciate the now without understanding how we got here. 
 

&

[AJW 1,850]

Happy pride month! I never really put much thought into pride month until my sister came out a couple years ago. Didn’t realize what she goes through and how hard it can be to express herself without people criticizing her for who she is. Ever since society started opening up to the LGBTQ community she has been able to be her true self and finally have a community she can connect with. I’m so proud of her and I hope everyone feels loved and appreciated always.  

[fishy 1,757]

4 hours ago, bigAL said:

Perfectly said. The Stonewall riots are the best (but not only, unfortunately) example of why Pride month is necessary. GTFO with your “aLL LIvEs MaTtEr” or “wHeRe’S sTrAiGhT pRiDe MoNtH”. These months are recognition for people that have not been recognized historically. These months are celebrations of people who have been demonized historically. These months are markers of progress, measures of civility and civilization, and aren’t up for debate. Celebrating Pride not an opinion, it’s a truth. It might not be your truth, but you have to recognize that it is someone’s truth. 
 

And don’t forget Canadians, homophobia and racism happen here too. The Bathhouse Raids were a mass crackdown and arresting of gay people in Toronto... in 1981. Not ancient history. We’re (rightfully) focusing on residential schools this week but anti-gay laws and violence are part of our national Truth too. We can’t move forward without acknowledging the past, and we can’t appreciate the now without understanding how we got here. 
 

&

great addition, thanks for adding this to the conversation!!!!