Pride Month: 3 ways to support the ‘unheard.’
The year has but one June, dear friend,
The year has but one June;
And when that perfect month doth end
The robin’s song, though loud, though long,
Seems never quite in tune.
~ Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Just because Pride Month has ended, doesn’t mean we stop talking about it.
The month of June was named after Juno — the Roman Goddess and the patron of marriage. Some other interpretations cite that it came from a Latin word juvenis, meaning “young people” who were celebrated during the month.
June is indeed special!
Not just for June Weddings, but for so many other reasons (apart from my birthday, haha!).
It’s when the world celebrates the Pride Month. This year, we are observing the 50th Anniversary of this tradition. It begins with colorful and joyous faces saying thanks to those who fought for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community.
And the best thing is — it welcomes everyone with open arms irrespective of their ‘gender’ to stand with them and celebrate.
But this year is different; 2020 is one of the most terrible years on the face of the earth. We’ve seen the world going through a rough patch. The deadly virus COVID-19 is already on the loose and we’re quarantined to contain the pandemic. We have seen the highest unemployment rates across the globe after the Great Depression, George Floyd’s murder, and whatnot.
The point is, these things create chaos and disharmony in people. But what if I tell you about a riot which changed the course for something better; hope for the LGBTQ+ community.
They have faced (and are still facing) social stigma and lack of acceptance. But the situation around us has now started changing slowly to support their hope-filled eyes, wanting just one thing from the rest of the world — acceptance.
So, let’s explore the tradition!
What is Pride Month?
June is chosen as the Pride Month where people come together in friendship and love to celebrate everything that the LGBTQ+ community has accomplished, showing how far they have come 50 years down the road.
It’s about being yourself and accepting who you are, irrespective of your sexual orientation. You don’t have to be ashamed but rather be proud of whom you love.
The tradition is about educating Pride history, teaching tolerance, and taking a pledge to move in the light of equality. It is a call to people to realize the downsides of homophobia, giving everyone a chance to break the stereotypes.
People usually celebrate with colorful costumes, parades, and concerts. Many cities actively host community events like dance and poetry readings, street parties and festivities, public speaking, along with educational sessions. It continues to attract millions of people across the globe.
However, the celebration has shifted online this year in view of social distancing.
The History of Pride Month
It was a fine morning on June 28, 1969, in New York, when the police officers from the Public Morals Division raided a gay club named Stonewall Inn at Greenwich Village.
Back then, police units enforced every law for gambling, narcotics, prostitution, and HOMOSEXUALITY. They would arrest them and forcefully hospitalize gay people.
Frustrated with years of torment and prejudices against the LGBTQ+ communities, the bar patrons and staff along with neighborhood residents protested this time. The situation took a sharp turn and the riots lasted for over 6 days involving transgenders, bisexuals, gays, and lesbians, and people of color.
This is what set in history as the Stonewall Riots, which ignited the spark for gay rights movements.
One year later, it led to the formation of the Christopher Street Liberation Day Committee to commemorate the Stonewall uprising’s first anniversary with a march. Demonstrations took place in other cities including San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Chicago.
The protest aimed to demand the establishments where the LGTBQ+ persons could go without trouble and talk about their feelings and sexual orientation.
Brenda Howard was a bisexual activist credited largely to start Pride Month. She is also called — “The Mother of Pride”. The movement also involved other main leaders including Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and many more.
PS: The first march was named after Christopher Street — the epicenter of the gay community in New York.
Why is it celebrated in June?
Call it a coincidence or destiny but June was meant for it!
As the Stonewall riots and the “first parade” also happened in June, since then people celebrate Pride Month every June.
It is the month to remember those who left an eternal impression on us to realize that every individual matters. It’s immaterial as to which country, state, religion, caste, creed, color, or ‘gender’ you belong to; you must be treated equally.
Who can be a part of it?
Anyone who feels their sexual preferences do not fall in the mainstream category can join along with straight people wanting to support the cause.
Did you notice that I've been mentioning LGBTQ+ throughout the article?
You could also see LGBT or LGBTQ, etc in other places; so don’t get confused!
Here’s why!
LGBT stands for Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender. However, there can be other sexual orientations as well. Hence, it could extend to LGTBQ, LGBTQIA, or simply LGBTQ+.
That beautiful Rainbow!
You can see the rainbow flag signifying Pride Month throughout June, be it social media, streets, fashion, or the tech industry.
It proudly represents the Pride Month.
The credit for creating the flag goes to Gilbert Baker in 1978. He was an activist in gay rights, an American artist, and an army veteran.
The flag debuted in that year’s parade in San Francisco. Baker drew inspiration for design the flag from the rainbow, reflecting different groups with the LGBTQ+ community.
Originally, the flag consisted of 8 colors with specific symbols:
- Hot Pink — sexuality
- Red — life
- Orange — healing
- Yellow — sunlight
- Green — nature
- Turquoise — magic or art
- Blue — harmony
- Violet — spirit
Later, hot pink along with turquoise was dropped owing to production limitations and design symmetry.
Ways to peacefully celebrate Pride Month:
Whether you belong to the LGBTQ+ community or not, you can participate. Here are some fun ways to celebrate Pride Month:
1. Participate in a Pride March or attend an online event:
Many places around the world host Pride Marches, including New York (of course), Philadelphia, Toronto, Singapore, Taiwan, and more. Just join your nearest parade and get on board!
However, parades in many cities are cancelled due to the pandemic. So, you can keep it on your next year’s to-do list.
This year, a lot of splendid online events were organized such as:
- Global Pride
- DragVanti
- #21DaysChallenge by the Pride Circle
- New York City Pride
- San Francisco Pride, and more
2. Volunteer:
Volunteering as an activist is one of the nicest things one can do. For this, you can support them online and offline, fight their oppression, educate yourself and others.
This way, you can help create a better world and be the noise of the unheard.
3. Read LGBTQ+ Books:
To all the book lovers, this is a fun way to celebrate Pride Month. Understand the real struggle of the LGBTQ+ community with these fascinating books.
- The Gay Revolution: the story of the struggle by Lillian Faderman
- If I Fall by Lauryn A Brooks
- Rethinking Law, Violence, and Justice by Jyoti Dogra Sood and Latika Vasisht
4. Plan a movie night based on LGBTQ+ films:
You can find a ton of outstanding films on the LGBTQ+ community. Gather your friends and take a seat with a soft pillow by your side to take a closer step towards understanding them.
Here are some movie recommendations from my side:
- God’s own country
- Beats Per Minute
- Moonlight
How are the tech biggies celebrating?
Hello geeks, this one’s exclusively for you. Now, even the tech biggies like Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, etc. are out there supporting Pride Month by launching their dedicated products or features.
1. Apple:
Recently, Apple launched a couple of new bands for its Apple Watch. While the first one is a rainbow band, the other is a white band highlighting rainbow colored holes.
Apple, in fact, has been launching Pride-themed watch bands since 2016.
2. Microsoft:
Microsoft released its Pride collection, offering hoodies, t-shirts, and more. Its Xbox includes games like ‘Play with Pride’.
Xbox is also making a huge donation of $250,000 to non-profit LGBTQ+ organizations across the globe.
3. Instagram:
Instagram has included new features like rainbow-colored hashtags, filters, and stickers.
4. Facebook:
Similar to Instagram, Facebook also rolls out Pride-themed filters and frames.
Now, the serious and important part,
How can you support them?
The LGBTQ+ community has seen ups and downs all these years. Although there have been a few gains, we still have a long way to go. We can’t fix centuries of social stigma all at once. But we can learn from the past and take steps one at a time to fight it off.
If you don’t belong to the community, you can still help them in different ways directly or indirectly: the choice is yours!
1. Acceptance:
This is the first and foremost step that you can take from your side to support them. It needs strong introspection. Ask yourself –
Do you really support them with all your heart?
Are you ready for this?
I think it’s not that big of a task to support an individual. It’s their choice, so why the discrimination?
But yes, if you want to stand by them, you really need to introspect yourself. In case you are not, you can study them and their struggles as fellow human beings.
Once you come out strong, then we start talking!
2. Storytelling:
Storytelling directly triggers human emotions and psychology. It is one of the best ways to encourage and educate the audience to make a move. Create awareness around injustice done to the LGBTQ+ people.
You can even share your experiences and encourage others to do the same. Show them how they can be affected deeply with the prejudice of this enormity.
And if people outside the community can connect with your story and start accepting them more at the emotional level, it can create a mobilizing effect.
3. Donation:
Giving back to the LGBTQ+ community through a donation to a community/youth center can be a good cause. There are so many non-profit organizations working diligently to bring a better tomorrow for adults and teens alike.
If you are able, you can donate or raise charity for organizations such as the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, Sylvia Rivera Law Project, Black & Pink, and many more.
Final words
It takes time to correct discrimination of this magnitude. People who aren’t affected directly need to take a stand for those who really are. It’s on you how strong you desire to change the world around you because standing silently is one way saying — “I don’t give a damn”; whether you like it or not.
Be the voice of the unheard!
Stand for love!
Because every individual matters!
