Going into pride month this year makes us think a little more on what it took to have the privilages we have as a same-sex married couple. Protesting police brutality and demands for equality were the main cause for the Stonewall riots, which pushed the LGBTQ rights movement in the US in 1969. Without the role of black trans activists like Marsha P Johnson and Sylvia Rivera who were at the frontline of it all, we in the LGBTQ community would not be where we are today.
After the worldwide protest following the death of George Floyd, it made us realize how not being a racist, just wasn’t enough anymore. We must be actively anti-racist. The true roots of Pride Month are about continuing to fight against injustice and inequalities. We have the opportunity to learn and take some quick lessons on intersectionality (Professor Kimberlé Crenshaw) and to take hold of the opportunity we have to build a cross-cultural alliance that satisfies our united interests. We should work together with all our fellow LGBTQ members and supporters with the Black Lives Matter movement. Sometimes it seems that we are two separate groups but we must remember that BLM was founded by queer BLACK women. We as a community must continue to work together with BLM to keep the momentum that has been brought on by posting on social media, signing petitions, contacting politicians and lawmakers, and attending protests. It must be ingrained into our everyday lives. Let’s continue having those uncomfortable conversations with those that may not be educated on the BLM movement and be a vital part of the change. We must continue learning. After all, we are all HUMAN.