9 Ways to Create an Impact This Pride Month
Your guide to promoting LGBTQ+ inclusivity and acceptance this June
When you think Pride Month, images of rainbow flags, festive parades, and happy celebrations may pop into your head. But truth is, there’s much more to Pride Month than meets the eye.
While Pride Month in June has been marked by celebration in recent years — a fantastic testament to the progress of the LGBTQ+ movement — pride began out of protest. In fact, it was born after patrons of a gay bar in NYC, Stonewall, fought back against a discriminatory police raid on June 28th, 1969. At the time, homosexuality was a crime in the states. And just a year later, the first pride marches commemorating this riot took place in major cities across the US.
That said, there’s still tons of work to be done to strengthen the LGBTQ+ movement. No matter your identity, there are several things you can do this month — and every month — to support the equality, inclusivity, and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ people.
Here are 9 things you can do to make an impact this Pride Month:
1. Attend a parade
We’ll start with the obvious. Turns out, pride parades are more than just an excuse to celebrate with friends. They play a major role in promoting inclusivity and celebrating LGBTQ+ diversity. When you and your friends get out to rally for the LGBTQ+ cause, it encourages others to do the same.
This small act has the power to change the status quo, and alter what’s seen as ‘normal’ or ‘acceptable’ within your smaller community and our greater society.
Parades also signal public support of LGBTQ rights to local and federal lawmakers. Overall, they’re an important tool to not only bring about political change, but also to create a sense of inclusivity, safety, and (literal) pride.
2. Host an LGBTQ+ movie screening
The movies we watch impact us more than we think. They set the tone for what we consider to be ‘normal,’ and also expose us to stories, situations, and people we wouldn’t otherwise think about or empathize with.
Hosting an LGBTQ movie screening with your friends with an LGBTQ movie is an excellent (and fun) way to expose yourself, and your friends and family to stories and history that you may not otherwise know. Here are our recs:
- Puzzles: When Hate Comes To Town tells the story of an LGBTQ+ hate crime, when a teenager attacks the patrons of a gay bar called Puzzles in New Bedford, Massachusetts. It asks hard questions, and spotlights the connection between hate crimes, extremist ideologies, and the increase of hate violence in LGBTQ+ communities.
- Straightlaced: How Gender’s Got Us All Tied Up shows how gender and sexuality norms are harming today’s American teens. It features the perspectives of straight and LGBTQ+ teens, who open up about their lives, sexual experiences, and everyday interactions, and how they’re confined by stereotypes and expectations.
3. Donate to impactful nonprofits
There are tons of different ways to support LGBTQ+ organizations, and donating is one of them. If you’re running low on time, or looking to give back a portion of your monthly salary to charity (fact: studies show the most effective way to consistently donate is to make it automatic), this is a great place to start.
There are tons of organizations that need your help, and there’s one for every angle: You can focus your efforts on transgender people, LGBTQ+ mentorship, homelessness, medical interventions, equality, and the list goes on.
Tip: To make your impact even stronger, we suggest posting about your donation to your chosen LGBTQ+ charity on social media. Our Chief Behavioral Officer Dan Ariely tells us that when others see you doing good, they’ll be encouraged to do the same.
4. Volunteer at an LGBTQ+ community center
Local LGBTQ+ community centers serve as important safe spaces for members of all ages and backgrounds to connect with each other and find acceptance.
Often, these centers provide a variety of programs and support services, and need volunteers to stay afloat.
So grab a friend (to double your impact!), and spend the day at your local LGBTQ center helping with whatever tasks they need, whether it’s answering phones, mentoring members, or helping with special events. Just a few hours of your time can go a long way.
5. Provide support to struggling LGBTQ+ people
If you’re looking for a more permanent gig, another impactful way to help is providing anonymous support to young people who are struggling with issues such as LGBTQ+ identity, coming out, depression, or suicide.
LGBTQ+ nonprofit The Trevor Project offers crisis intervention programs called TrevorChat and TrevorText, which young people can use to get support if they’re struggling. It’s supported by volunteers who are trained in crisis counseling. Once you’re trained, you can log in to help out wherever you are, as long as you’re in a private location with computer and internet connection. And if you live in NYC or LA, you can also volunteer at their Trevor Lifeline call centers.
6. Donate a birthday
One of the simplest yet most impactful ways to make an impact this Pride Month is donating a birthday. The Ali Forney Center, the largest community center for LGBTQ homeless youth, has a program called Project Birthday, which gives their community members a chance to celebrate their birthdays.
Since many members who use AFC’s services aren’t in contact with their families, they don’t have the means to celebrate their birthdays. “Project birthday offers young people who have been rejected by their families and made destitute and homeless an opportunity to celebrate their lives and an opportunity to be celebrated for being born, a sentiment many of them have been denied. Through this fund we are able to offer young people an opportunity to celebrate their special day,” the Director of Development, Alex Rogue, told us.
You can either donate a birthday, or create a personal Project Birthday campaign and invite your family and friends to contribute.
7. Sport LGBTQ+ gear
As with pride parades, wearing LGBTQ+ gear (or even just rainbow colors) is not overrated.
A pride item, like a rainbow flag in your home or a rainbow pin on your backpack, goes a long way in signaling your support for the LGBTQ+ community. It helps create a safe space and an atmosphere of acceptance and inclusivity. Who knows, maybe it’ll even encourage your friends, family members, or coworkers to sport some gear too!
8. Speak up against prejudice
Prejudice can come in many forms, whether it’s blatant homophobic statements or subtle banter. Regardless, these comments can get in the way of creating an accepting and inclusive environment, especially when people hesitate to speak up. If you notice someone making a hateful comment in the workplace, in a social setting, or even at the family dinner table, saying something can go a long way.
It not only signals to the speaker that their words are hurtful and disrespectful, but also sets an example to those around you. Together, these small actions are crucial steps to creating inclusive environments.
9. Make every month Pride Month
Pride Month is an excellent time to kick off your involvement in supporting to the LGBTQ+ community. Key word there? Kick off. Being an LGBTQ+ advocate shouldn’t stop July 1st.
When we asked our friend Muneer Panjwani over at The Trevor Project for his two cents on supporting the LGBTQ+ community, he said:
“Don’t just make an impact at a particular time of the month. Social change happens when people make it a daily habit to support others. For LGBTQ+, allies should come out as supporters of LGBTQ+ people, call out bigotry when they see it, vote, call their politicians who don’t support trans rights, educate others, think about intersectionality and how homophobia affects people of different ethnicities.”
Preach, Muneer.
Here’s to an impactful Pride Month, and a more meaningful 2018 💪
Note: Lemonade is a proud partner of the Trevor Project, The Ali Forney Center, and the @ACLU, who all work to further the LGBTQ+ movement.
To support these organizations just by getting insurance, choose one of them as your Giveback cause when you get a Lemonade policy.
