As an ally, understanding and participating in Pride can be a transformative journey. This guide will illuminate the history, significance, and ways to engage with Pride, fostering a deeper connection with the LGBTQ+ community and its vibrant celebration of identity.
Being an Ally Starts with Education
True allyship can only be found in tangible action. It’s not just a mindset.
- Marriage equality was upheld by the Supreme Court as a constitutional right in 2015
- 21% of Gen Z now identify as LGBTQ
- Real progress has been made, and for allies, that means keeping up with these milestones, understanding their impact, and educating others about what they mean
- Even our language has changed
- A broader lexicon has helped welcome more people into the community, who previously were unsure where they might fit in
History of Pride
In the 1950s, anxiety about homosexuals reached such a fever pitch that it led to mass firings of gay people in the federal government
- With the Civil Rights Movement, things began to change. The focus on civil disobedience, through marches and other demonstrations of solidarity, would come to inform the gay liberation movement and the first Pride parades.
- Pride was, therefore, born out of protests. For many in the community, Pride became a necessary release from the harsh everyday reality of queer life in America.
Why Pride still matters today
Visibility is only the beginning. Pride is a party and a protest, but for many it’s also simply a loud declaration of visibility. For many people, that visibility comes at a high price in their own communities.
- Pride is also a forum for people of any background to learn more about LGBTQIA+ people and the issues they face today.
