June is the Pride Month! As a master’s degree intern at a Plymouth based sex therapy practice based in Minnesota, I think it is crucial to place LGBTQ rights in my personal and professional life. The core of my sexual therapy practice is the belief that all people deserve physical autonomy and the ability to express their sexual behavior in a safe, respectful and affirmative environment. I think that everyone must advocate LGBTQ liberation because everyone should have a free body. In the words of great civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer, “No one is free until everyone is free.”
A good starting point is to learn more about the history of the gay rights movement and Pride Month. Read on to learn about the Stone Wall Riot, why pride is crucial, where we are today and how to celebrate.
A good starting point is to learn more about the history of the gay rights movement and Pride Month. Read on to learn about the Stone Wall Riot, why pride is crucial, where we are today and how to celebrate.
- LGBTQ rights under attack – We have come a long way to promote the rights of LGBTQ people since Stonewall Riots, but in the United States, anti-LGBTQ legislation remains rampant. ACLU is currently tracking 471 anti-LGBTQ bills in the United States, such as prohibiting gender care for youth, reviewing internal school discussions about LGBTQ people and history, and prohibiting transgender people from public places such as bathrooms and locker rooms. The fight for LGBTQ rights is far from over, and Pride offers us the opportunity to fight together.
- Pride events are empowering – Pride incidents may be a way to authorize LGBTQ people to reclaim their often denied rights and enter public spaces that are often forbidden. Pride can also create a sense of community and belong to those who often relegate to isolation and private life.
- We must respect those who are in front of us – Pride is an opportunity to come together and respect the work of visionary people and activists who risk their lives to fight for LGBTQ rights. It is particularly important that we pay attention to the work of color activists, such as Marsha P. Johnson, Marsha P. Johnson, Marsha P.