Pride Month Is About Love, Freedom, and Acceptance

June is Pride Month! Pride Month is an opportunity to celebrate the human spectrum of gender and sexuality and fight for equality. Whether you are a member of the community or you are a heterosexual, cis person, you can show your support to others during this month.

The very first Pride Parade began in 1970 in response to several raids (The Stonewall Riots) that were happening in gay bars. The LGBTQ+ community had been subject to tear gas and violence – and they fought back. This celebration for Gay Pride spread all over the world as a movement to stop the hate and homophobia. It was a peaceful march to show solidarity to all queer people around the world.

It’s of course important to give every single person space and freedom to be themselves and exist without fear of violence and hatred, but Pride Month is a reminder for everyone to learn more about the LGBTQ+ community and support them in the best way they can.

The LGBTQ+ Community Still Experiences Hate & Fear

Sadly, there is still a lot of misunderstanding, fear, and hate when it comes to people who aren’t straight. Like every other person, LGBTQ+ people want to live their best life and be able to love who they love without fear of reprimand. I was shocked at how many anti-gay and anti-Pride content I’ve seen around the Internet, even on WordPress. Everyone can have an opinion. However, if that opinion is rooted in privilege and hate, it’s not an informed one. There is no gay agenda any more than there is a hetero agenda.

Think of how much representation white, cis, and straight people have in the media. Bonus points if they’re pretty, slender, or fit. Imagine how it must feel as a queer person to get just a little representation in a few TV shows, songs, or films, and all they seem to hear about is “The gays are taking over!” or “Things just aren’t wholesome like they used to be.”

Please take note of the privilege you must have if you can be angry that a smaller, repressed group of people is getting some exposure in the media and receiving the same rights as everyone else. I acknowledge my privilege being white, straight, and thin. Privilege doesn’t mean you won’t have haters or bad situations, it means that you will be ridiculed far less than someone who doesn’t fit an ideal mold that society prefers. Something I can relate to when it comes to lacking a privilege is being female when comparing the privileges to being male.

This is why many allies of the LGBTQ+ community are often straight women. We know how it is to be ridiculed for talking about our real lived experiences or for taking up traditionally male dominated spaces like business, cars, politics, sports, etc.

You do not have to look far to see how much hate, fear, and prejudice there is against queer people. It seems that whenever a repressed group gets some representation, many members of the privileged majority feels threatened and many feel the need to shut them down rather than stop and listen for a few minutes. I acknowledge I am a straight cis woman and I do not know what it is like to live as a gay, bi, or trans person, but I do know many wonderful people who are a part of the LGBTQ+ community. I do my best to stand up for them and give them the space to talk about their experiences. It will not be the same as a straight person’s.

Being Gay Is Not A Choice

This has been researched time and time again that being attracted to the same gender is not a choice. People are born that way. There is no evidence to prove that queer people are that way because of past abuse or trauma. If you are a queer person, you’re born that way and that’s a beautiful thing. It is natural and normal for some people to be attracted to and fall in love those of the same gender as them.

I’m sorry if this sounds obvious or redundant. I know many of you already know this or you have your own lived experience. However, there’s still many people who do not get this concept.

What Are Some Ways We Can Show Our Support During Pride Month?

* Give people in your life (Family, friends, coworkers, acquaintances) the space to talk about their experiences and listen to them rather than react, judge, or give your unsolicited advice

* Donate to charities that support the LGBTQ+ community (Such as the Trevor Project)

* Read about what gay, bi, and trans people experience – be open to learning and realizing that your pre-conceived ideas may be inaccurate or wrong

* Speak up when you see a fellow coworker, friend, or family member be bullied or harassed due to their non-heteronormative status

* Support queer business owners, artists, and causes

* Post that you are an ally on social media

* Watch and read queer literature and films. It can be eye-opening to read about someone’s personal experience

* Be open to uncovering any unconscious biases you may have. Realize that life is about continuous learning and it’s okay to not know about something or be wrong about something, as long as you are willing to listen and try to see life from other people’s perspectives. We’re all on this giant rock orbiting the sun together – why not take the time to assess our differences and allow people to be who they are and to love who they love?

Thank you so much for reading today!

(Photo by Alexander Grey: https://www.pexels.com)