It’s been one whirlwind of a Pride Month.
June’s not over quite yet (Yes, we agree… This is the longest June EVER), and we have a few ideas concerning how you can keep the Pride celebration going long after this month has passed.
Protest is Pride
2019 marked the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. This year — the riots’ 51st anniversary we’re reminded of how important it is to stand up, shout and demand justice for Black people, people of color, and the LGTBQ+ community.
A recent post by Bobby Berk, one of the beloved “Fab 5,” details how the Stonewall Riots and modern-day protests are related.
“It began in June of 1969 at the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in NYC’s Greenwich Village,” Berk wrote, and continued:
“Police regularly raided gay bars, often harassing and arresting patrons based on their sexuality. On the night of June 28, black gay men, lesbians, drag queens and trans women lead the fight against the brutality towards the gay community. Riots and protesting continued throughout the night and lasted for several days, becoming what we now know as the Stonewall Uprising, and serving as the catalyst for the modern gay rights movement. And thanks in part to the pioneering individuals who fought back that night, the LGBTQ community has made huge strides since.”
Two prominent members of the LGBTQ community who were part of this riot were Marsha P. Johnson, a Black trans woman and gay rights activist, and Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, a Black trans woman and transgender rights activist.
Support Black Trans Peoples’ Lives
Black trans people — especially Black trans women — are at a great risk of violence. This fact was sadly reinforced when the news reported that two Black trans women (Dominique “Rem’Mie” Fells, 27, of Philadelphia, and Riah Milton, 25, of Cincinnati, Ohio) were murdered this past week. A June 14 rally was held outside the Brooklyn Museum to honor their lives and to support trans rights. (Another thing that happened last week: The Trump administration announced that it was “eliminating an Obama-era regulation prohibiting discrimination in health care against patients who are transgender,” CNN reported.)
Also, according to CNN, since the beginning of 2020, “there have been 14 reported murders of trans and gender non-conforming people.” CNN added that the 2019 Human Rights Campaign’s report on anti-transgender violence in the US reported that “the number of deaths of trans people [is] likely undercounted.”
Does all of that information make your blood boil? If so, click this link. It reveals a document that contains a ton of information on how you can take action to support Black trans people.
Also, consider clicking over here, too. This VICE piece lists organizations that support Black trans people.
Be a Supportive Ally
We all could do better when it comes to using progressive pronouns. And although most people will forgive a person if someone accidentally misgenders them, it’s important to remember why even certain words — in this case, brother and sister — can hurt non-binary and Black folks.
Read the Instagram post below in full to find out why:
This may not be the Pride month we all envisioned it would be, and it certainly lacks a lot of glitter and joy. However, this Pride will be one to remember, and perhaps it will help facilitate real change, which is this queer person fully supports.
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Abbie Stutzer is a queer, non-binary writer living in Kansas City, MO. You can find them doing witchy stuff at home with their numerous pets or at the local animal shelter saving lives. Contact Stutzer via abbie@ynotcam.com.
Background header image by Ylanite Koppens via Pexels.
