Across the free world, communities are celebrating Pride Month. For a quick history lesson, we turn to the Library of Congress to summarize the history of the celebration:
“Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month (LGBT Pride Month) is currently celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan. The Stonewall riots were a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States.” A year after the riots, the New York Times reported that the first ever Pride parade in New York City stretched for 15 blocks, with thousands of participants.
“In the United States the last Sunday in June was initially celebrated as ‘Gay Pride Day,’ but the actual day was flexible,” continues the library’s description of Pride Month. “In major cities across the
While Pride activities have come to celebrate openness and inclusion, not everyone has felt included in the LGBTQ+ community—particularly people of color.
The city of Philadelphia recently released a report detailing the degrees of racism and double standards that people of color have experienced in the City of Brotherly Love’s “Gayborhood.”
Ernest Owens’ complaint is just one of many. So many so, that the city studied the accusations and is making a public effort to rectify the situation.
“We need to do more to address [racism] here in Philadelphia. We will do whatever else we need to do to see that the recommendations are adopted.”
Those recommendations “include mandatory training for business owners and nonprofits working in the neighborhood,” according to the news website.
“In 1978, artist Gilbert Baker designed the original rainbow flag. An iconic symbol of LGBTQ+ unity. So much has happened since then. A lot of good, but there’s more we can do. Especially when it comes to recognizing people of color in the LGBTQ+ community. To fuel this important conversation, we’ve expanded the colors of the flag to include black and brown. It may seem like a small step. But together we can make big strides toward a truly inclusive community.”
In somewhat divisive times, it’s great to see that a historic city like Philadelphia is making bold, public efforts to become more inclusive as a whole.
