PRIDE Month: Celebrations and Protests in the Age of Corona Virus
WOW has this been an eventful June for the LGBTQ+ community! As a native New Yorker, I always look forward to seeing the stream of people in rainbow colors parading down the streets in a giant celebration of love, acceptance, progress, and originality. I’ve seen anything from a drag performance to a newly-married same-sex couple with all of New York dancing around them in celebration. I see PRIDE serving as a way for queer folks to celebrate every part of themselves and for allies, like myself, to show support for our friends, families, and the LGBTQ+ community as a whole. By just showing up and bringing our positive energy to the parade, we are forwarding the movement of normalizing queerness in society, and joining the fight against oppression.
Growing up, my high school had a queer assembly where anyone who wanted could get up on stage, talk about the history of LGBTQ+ communities, share a short lesson on the movement around the world, or even come out to our little community. Each year, at least one student would get up on stage and come out to all 600 students and faculty of the school. Each announcement was met by deafening applause and cheering from the crowd that could be heard throughout the building. The energy of support and love that moved throughout the school that day was always unstoppable. Celebrating PRIDE month brings back all of those sights, sounds, and feelings. I feel it all around and it makes me wish PRIDE parades took place everyday. It is one of my favorite times of the year, but this June due to Corona Virus, PRIDE month has not manifested itself in the same manner.
While we can’t celebrate in the streets this year, the LGBTQ+ community has been making serious headway toward legal equality. In a major national victory this month, the Supreme Court voted 6–3, ruling that Title VII applies to LGBTQ+ workers. What does Title VII actually do you may ask? It does the essential work of banning employment discrimination on the basis of sex, religion, race, and national origin. Long overdue, but this ruling is nonetheless a win during a time when we needed one more than ever.
As we all know, however, the path toward social justice is marked by a step or two back for every step forward. On Friday June 12th, the Trump administration announced that it would remove nondiscrimination protections awarded to the LGBTQ+ community in healthcare and health insurance. This discriminatory ruling is coming at a time in which health risks for all are greater than ever before and access to medical care is even more critical while we continue to fight against Corona Virus. As we are reminded to wear masks and take necessary safety precautions, this ruling is a further reminder to speak up for what is right. So remember, take care of yourself and those around you, and contact your local representatives urging them to push back against this removal of protections. Your voice matters and is needed in this fight for equal rights! (Need help identifying your federal representatives? Use this handy directory: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials)
Okay, thanks for bearing with me for those legal updates! If you’re near Philadelphia, make sure to stay on the lookout for news about Philly’s annual OutFest in October and keep an eye out for info on the Philadelphia Trans Wellness Conference scheduled for August 19–21 of 2021. Not from Philly or the East Coast? No problem! Check out the NW Network and the amazing events, resources, youth programs and services they are offering to the queer community (https://www.nwnetwork.org/) or GLAAD (https://www.glaad.org/). As June comes to end and we head into the summer months, don’t let your PRIDE fade, and never forget the power of love ❤.
#Dinah #Voices4Voiceless #PRIDE #LoveIsLove
