Pride 2.0: Overcoming -Isms in the LGBTQ+ Movement
This month we celebrate diversity of love and identity. Pride Month represents the promotion of unashamed self-pride, equality, and increased visibility for all LGBTQ+ people. At the same time, Pride Month is meant to remember all that the LGBTQ+ community has endured, and continues to endure, in their fight for equality and justice.
We must commemorate the riots held by individuals of the LGBTQ+ community against a police raid of a gay bar that took place at the Stonewall Inn in New York City on June 28, 1969. The Stonewall Riots sparked a liberation movement. That incident ignited protests around the country in the push for LGBTQ+ rights and greater equality.
The LGBTQ+ community has achieved remarkable progress since the Stonewall Riots. In fact, in recent years, historic Supreme Court rulings have struck down regressive laws, affirmed the right to marriage equality, and secured workplace protections for LGBTQ+ individuals in every State and Territory. Despite all these successes, there is still a lot of work to be done to not only secure the fundamental rights that the LGBTQ+ community deserves, but to also take a stand against the violence, discrimination, and harassment that the community continues to face. So how can we become active allies for people in the LGBTQ+ community?
To learn about the multifaceted nature of the Pride Movement, and how it can be used as a platform to further raise visibility for certain groups and causes — such as transgender rights, bisexuality acceptance, HIV awareness — I (virtually) sat down with some amazing panelists for a Consciously Unbiased LinkedIn Live conversation.
We discussed ways to create greater representation for LGBTQ+ people, the important role media plays in building inclusion and belonging, and how we can support, accept, and respect all people for who they are. Here are some key takeaways from our discussion.
See & Treat LGTBQ+ People as Nothing But Human
“Trans people are people, as well as everyone in the LGBTQI+ community,” says Corey Rae, Activist, Actress & Model. “We’re humans first. My whole life’s work is about making sure that people see trans people and treat trans people as nothing but human. We won’t accept anything less. Start treating us like a human being and start standing up for us. You can do this by following people of trans experience [on social], sharing their content, and putting it on your story. Not just during pride month, do it year-round so that you are an active ally.”
Create Representation So We Are Seen & Heard For Who We Are
“We all, as human beings, want to be seen and heard for who we are,” says Jor Gonsalves, Host, Unshaming Podcast . “We don’t want to be seen and heard for one attribute of ourselves, but for the entire package of who we are. I’m encouraged by the conversations that we’ve been having here because I see a lot of the groundbreaking work that these panelists are doing to: inclusify representation, bring other voices to the forefront, create representation where people truly see and hear themselves; not for the stigmas or the stereotypes, but really for who they are.”
Accept & Respect That We Are All Different
“There is beauty in understanding that it’s okay that others may not understand how I fit in my skin, my gender, and my sexuality,” says Wen Stenger, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Consultant. “It’s not for people to understand, they just have to respect it. We all have to do our best not to assume where everybody is or where they have come from. But, what the LGBTQ+ community does ask, is that people understand that we see ourselves a different way. We physically are a different way than this binary that the world has put us into. You just have to accept it and respect it.”
Stay Open-Minded and Embrace Difference
“Stay open-minded, even if it’s something that you don’t understand,” says Levi Chambers, Founder & CEO, Rainbow Media Co. “I have family members that don’t really understand the pronoun thing, and they don’t know if they really want to try. They say, ‘I don’t really get this.’ But, the important thing is to have an open mind and at least try to be supportive. If someone is coming out for the first time, be open to them and embrace them. That really is the first step. Then, educate yourself, learn, and move forward.”
Inspire Other LGBTQ+ People to Share Their Stories
“Your voice can really make a change and a difference,” says Thomas Orlina, Social Media Influencer & Recording Artist. “The internet is extremely powerful. Everybody is on the internet and everybody is looking for resources and help. When I came out, I heard from thousands of people that were sending me kudos and calling me brave. People started sharing their struggles as well, people of all age ranges, from young kids to adults. I think it’s important for us to never stop being creative and coming up with ideas to help other people be strong. Give that guidance to the next person who might need it.”
LGBTQ+ People Are So Much More Than Just Their Identity
“There is a common misconception of our community that we are only our identity or others’ perceived identity of who we should be,” says Dimitri Moise, COO, Claim Our Space Now & HIV Activist. “I’m so much more than just a gay man. I’m so much more than just the color of my skin. I think people reduce LGBTQ+ people to what they think our identity should be or look like. Being prideful is owning every single facet of who we are as individuals. People who are allies, or who are learning more about our community, also need to realize that we are so much more than just your gay friend or your gay co-worker.”
We Need More Representation of LGBTQ+ People in a Positive Light
“We now have these incredible shows that include LGBTQ+ community representation,” says Rae. People can now relate to Hunter Schafer in Euphoria or Laverne Cox in Orange Is the New Black. But, I believe we still lack representation in a positive light. In Orange Is the New Black, the protagonist is in jail, she’s in prison. The show further narrates that we are thieves and criminals. That is just not the case. We need that positive representation. We need to start seeing the trans person get the crown and maybe even the guy. Where are these stories?”
HIV-Positive People Live Full Lives
“Don’t be sad when someone shares their diagnosis with you,” says Moise. “When I share my status with someone, it’s not a death sentence. You shouldn’t ask me if I could have done anything differently to not get it. It’s a part of me that I’m sharing that is a very precious piece of information. I say to most positive people, ‘you don’t have to disclose your status unless you’re in situations where that needs to happen.’ Don’t sympathize. Don’t feel sorry for people living with HIV, because we’re full people living full lives, and we’ve come so far to where many of us can live undetectable.”
There is a Difference Between Gender Identity and Sexuality
“There is a common misconception that being part of the LGBTQ+ community means that you differ in your attraction only,” says Stenger. “There’s so many of us that identify in the community not only because of who we are attracted to, but also because of our gender identity. People often think that if you don’t fit within the gender binary or the structure, then you automatically connect in a spectrum of sexuality and attraction. It’s not necessarily the same. Sexual attraction or orientation and gender identity are so vastly different. Who you’re attracted to physically can be different than who you’re attracted to emotionally. How you identify in the way that you present yourself, emotionally, psychologically, physically can differ from the sex that you were assigned at birth.”
The Pride movement is centered around humans’ right to love and identify in ways that are authentic with who they are. As humans, we all want to be seen, heard, and accepted for who we are. That entails us getting over ourselves, because the reality is, your individual life choices are independent of other peoples.’ We’re so focused on this mindset that we’re ‘different from each other’ rather than focusing on how we’re ‘different like each other.’ But, we’re all unique and we all have different perspectives no matter what we look like or who we are. Some ways we can start to be more accepting and respectful of others is by: letting go of our egos, creating spaces for people to express how they are doing, and educating yourself and learning. Doing so will allow us to be on the right side of history so that hopefully one day as a society we all come to a point where we just accept people for who they are and where they are.
