Pride Must Continue Year-Round

A Commentary on the Significance of Season, Completing Social

Justice Tasks, and Moving Forward to Embrace Equality for All

It saddens me to see June and the season of LGBTQ+ Pride come to an end. This is exactly like the feeling I experience at the end of every February, Black History Month. The contributions of Blacks are highlighted and then shelved for 365 days, as the month concludes. With more S&P companies, NGOs, political, regulatory, and technical entities within the federal and municipal level the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) principles toward equity, what indicators are there to mark achievement and success? With all the revelations of discrimination and inequity, are organizations doing all they can to eliminate behaviors that have been in place for more than 400 years, to create a more humane and just culture? Specifically, regarding June Pride month, are we acknowledging, accepting, and celebrating LGBTQ+ individuals, their contributions? My heart is filled with hope about what can be accomplished in the future. Nonetheless and as current headlines continue to reveal, there is still much work to be done. 

Pride season/month is more than including images of the Pride flag, behind a corporate logo. The colors have meaning that celebrate the uniqueness of humanity and in this case, the uniqueness of those within the LGBTQ+ community.  As we come out of 2020 and myriad of economic/financial, health, and social pandemics that were spotlighted because of COVID-19 crisis and the Black Lives Matter social movement. Are Board rooms/virtual meeting spaces as diverse and reflective of today’s human diaspora?  Is equality for all being embraced as a rhetorical campaign merely to increase organizational bottom lines and hide corporate practices that hide the unique individuality of so many? Where exactly are the are dollars going that have been raised because of Pride marketing initiatives?

Just as Pride season/month has celebrated the LGBTQ+ community through festivals, parades, and more recently even marketing campaigns, it remains a celebration of diversity that allows those within the LGBTQ+ populace to commune together safely – celebrating brotherhood, gay/queer community, sisterhood, and family. June Pride Month and its various activities are important to broadening the acceptance and visibility of all those claiming any part of the LGBTQ+ family diaspora and should be carried out all year. Additionally, the events serve to eliminate any both prejudices and stereotypes that face so many deemed “different” and in opposition to current heteronormative values. 

In writing this, I recalled my personal story and reflections about coming out. I recalled everything from the difficulties, revealed hypocrisies, and triumphs. I thought extensively on the power of actions, specifically of immediate and extended family members and friends who were verbally supportive in words, but later through lack of action or speech and what were considered to be “private or closed” conversations revealed bias, bigotry, and discrimination. There behaviors and words are never forgotten.

As the advocacy and education on LGBTQ+ issues remain an ever-present task for many, from activist to volunteers, as well as to you and me, it is important for all within LGBTQ+ community to live an authentic life and be true to who we are, personally and professionally. Furthermore, when you ask and reflect upon what you can do to create positive movement toward the elimination of such discriminatory behaviors call out people for lude and discriminatory actions, behaviors, comments, as violations of humanity. Beyond that a web search will reveal countless LGBTQ+ organizations that you can contribute financially or personally give time to improving the humanity of others around. 

Stay safe and Happy Pride!!