It’s Pride Month

June is Pride Month, and we are excited to amplify the rainbow of voices, experiences, and history shared by LGBTQIA+ people. As allies, we use this time to share our commitment in supporting the queer community as we work together to create a future free from discrimination and cruelty. 

This June, we pay tribute to generations of queer people who have fought to ensure equality and rights for all Americans, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation. We take the time to remember early activists like Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin, founders of the Daughters of Bilitis, the U.S.’s first national lesbian organization; Frank Kameny, who worked to delist homosexuality as a mental disorder; and Marsha P. Johnson, a black, queer, and trans liberation activist who played a prominent role in the Stonewall uprising. The ground-breaking actions of these individuals served to inspire future generations of queer individuals to be their true selves, unapologetically, while working to change the perceptions of bigotry against their community. 

We also take this time to recognize the historic leaps taken by the queer community in recent years. Today’s leading role models include Rachel Levine, the first openly transgender person to be confirmed to federal office by the U.S. Senate; Carl Nassib, the first active NFL player to come out as gay; and Laverne Cox; the first trans person to be nominated for an Emmy. Pride Month is about being proud of who you are, and all of these individuals (along with many more than we could possibly name) play an important role in empowering and supporting the present and future queer community to do just that. 

This Pride Month, we reaffirm our commitment to tolerance and respect for all, as we truly believe that everyone is deserving of dignity, support, and understanding no matter how they identify, who they choose to be, or who they choose to love. We think Harvey Milk said it best:

“It takes no compromise to give people their rights…it takes no money to respect the individual. It takes no political deal to give people freedom. It takes no survey to remove repression.”

Sincerely,

Terrence Clark