THE HISTORY PRIDE is an annual LGBTQ+ celebration that originated in 1970 as the Christopher Street Liberation Day on the first anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. There is a rich history to celebrate and take pride inThere is a lot to celebrate, and there is still a lot more to struggle for (and against).* *adapted from the zine Militant Flamboyance: a brief history of the stonewall riots and other queer happenings. A MOVEMENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE From its inception, Pride has been a way of celebrating who we are while fighting for something better. Sometimes really exciting legislation gets passed, and then we realize that it doesn't apply to us, or our friends or family because it only lifts up people of specific class, racial, sexual, and/or gender identities.
Being PROUD means celebrating all of the wins, while also naming that there are those to whom the wins do not apply, and being honest with ourselves and others about how precarious our wins may be.
In social change movements, we often talk about the "long haul". This refers to social change as a commitment to lifelong work that can be done in countless different ways. Social change can be pursued in as many different ways as there are human beings on the planet.
ALLY OR CO-CONSPIRATOR? Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza has argued that there are notable differences between being an ally and being a co-conspirator. Namely, that being an ally is a passive act, while being a co-conspirator requires being active. Not only do co-conspirators listen and verbally support difference, they physically show up and take action in solidarity with oppressed people.
Sometimes being an ally is a step in the direction of being a co-conspirator. Depending on where we are in the fight for social justice, being either might require us to step outside of our comfort zones, with the goal of eventually being ready to take real action in solidarity with all oppressed people.
For more on the difference between being an ally or being a co-conspirator, check out this article and video: Ally or Co-conspirator?
LGBTQ+ people exist everywhere. We are people of every race, in every country, in every community in the world.