21 Nov Pride Month Has Ended, But We Still Exist!

History Of Pride Month 

On a late June evening of 1969, it was business as usual at the Stonewall Inn (New York City), which welcomed drag performances and gay persons. Although the world had begun to notice queer persons with scattered advocacy for equal rights, the oppression and persecution were widespread. Police raids on gay bars at the time were routine occurrences, and the Stonewall Inn was stormed in one such raid on that fateful evening. However, queer patrons, supporters, and customers responded to police brutality. It led to spontaneous demonstrations, organized protests, and uprisings from neighborhood gay bars, villages, and other queer citizens. The events had diverse leadership including transwomen of color. The protests are a watershed event in history that ushered in a new, powerful era of the gay liberation movement. 

The world observes June as Pride Month to commemorate the Stonewall Uprising. It is dedicated to celebrating LGBTQIA+ persons’ struggle for a life of dignity. Every June, the world sparkles in Rainbow flags and colors as a symbol of queer pride. Corporates affirm their commitment by washing their logos in the rainbow. There are marches, rallies, and parades that aim at seeking visibility and love from the public. Creative merchandise crops up to boast of all love and identities being legitimate. Various discourses, panel discussions, celebrity involvement, participation of cis-het allies, etc. help drive the efforts for inclusion, education, and awareness. Digital, as well as the real world, suddenly seem to be warmer, kinder, and a better place for a queer person. 

On the first of July, we wake up to find that the rainbow dust has settled and vanished rather quickly. Pride merchandise is off discount and has returned to discreet shelves. Dating apps have gone back to their regular programming. Corporate logos are no longer shining in the rainbow and their HR policies remain exclusionary. The dedicated allies no longer appear interested in proactively posting messages of acceptance, affirmation, and support. After all the hue and cry, queer folks continue to face discrimination, oppression, and alienation.

To understand the power of Pride, we must realize that it does not operate within the confines of space and time. It is a product of a person’s internal processes as well as of their environment. Unfortunately, as soon as Pride Month ends, we see the withdrawal of allyship in general. This reduces Pride into merely capitalizing on the lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ persons. Here are some of the everyday things that we can do as allies to implement the symbol of Pride into action:

• Urging corporates and businesses to show support all year

  We must urge workplaces to cater to a diverse customer base as well as to hire a diverse workforce. The policies and practices of the organization should transcend tokenism. Employers should extend equal benefits to LGBTQIA+ employees, such as insurance for same-sex partners, covering gender-affirming surgeries in health plans, using personal pronouns in all email signatures and introductions, including all-gender restrooms in workspaces, etc.

• Questioning biases:

  To unlearn our heteronormative conditioning, we should not shy away from calling out ourselves, friends, families, and colleagues when we act out of conscious and unconscious biases. Realizing our privileges, inviting queer friends to hang out with our family, stepping up to create safe spaces for colleagues all year long are some ways in which we can implement the essence of Pride effectively.

• Understanding intersectionality:

  Intersectionality is at the core of all activism and allyship. It is important to understand various social factors such as caste, class, religion, ability, etc. overlap with gender and sexuality to shape a diverse lived experience. This should not be dominated by the voices of few privileged power centers, all year long.

• Differentiating between exposure and appropriation:

  During June, well-intentioned allies often try to bring visibility to queer life by highlighting certain tropes. They end up using imagery that is most engaging to the public such as rainbow flags flying in the sun, etc. Plenty of other stories never get told, such as those of transpersons, genderqueer folks, nonbinary persons, etc. It is important to be vocal allies all around the year, and also to understand that being an ally is not a social media marketing tool to gain followers. On an individual as well as community level, we must pass the mic.

• Advocating for equal rights all year:

  Although our courts have legitimized queer identities, a lot remains to be done to effect that change in social, economic, political, and civil spheres such as finances, property rights, adoption, medical insurance, marriage, healthcare, etc. Approaching our elected representatives to advocate for state-driven initiatives and implementation of court directives can provide much-needed momentum to LGBTQIA+ aspirations. Issuing ex-post-facto apology and clearing criminal records of those convicted with Section 377 in the past, is another much-awaited affirmation in line with Court judgments. 

Pride isn’t something that finds its legitimacy in a street takeover. It is a symbolic actualization of a daily uphill battle that queer folks fight every day of their lives. Participating in the festivities and celebration comes with a deep acknowledgment that it began as a protest. It is a culmination of decades of struggles and hard-won rights. Without its political roots, we run the risk of turning Pride into a picnic. Pride Month is a reminder of the victorious battles of the past, as well as a beacon of hope for the future ones. Pride is every day!