How many times have been questioned for the way you are? How would you feel if you objected on every minor activity you do? For being talkative or quiet, for being thick or thin, for being tall or short? How would one feel if they were made to believe that there is a flaw in the way they are? It would kill them alive. But we don’t want anyone to feel this way because of us, right? Then how come we know so many homophobic people. The month of June is referred as the Pride Month. It is celebrated every year around this time. Social media is filled with several pictures and videos on everyone’s story and feed. People even outside the LGBTQ Community are sharing pictures with pride flag and even in attires of the similar colour combination. Some of the queer ones even planned to get a tattoo representing their sexuality. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month is marked every year in the month of June to honour the 1969 Stonewell Uprising in Manhattan. During that year, the last Sunday of the month was celebrated as “Gay Pride Day”.
In today’s world, pride celebration includes pride parades, picnics, parties, workshops, concerts and many more events. Memorials are also held during this month for the lost souls of queer community who died fighting against the world and against diseases like HIV/AIDS.
The gay pride is celebrated to spread self-affirmation, dignity, equality and also to spread more and more awareness and visibility towards lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders. The rainbow flag is the common symbol of the pride community. Speaking of the rainbow flag, it was actually gay politician Harvey Milk who asked a designer friend, Gilbert Baker, to design an all-encompassing symbol to take to San Francisco’s Pride March in 1978. Unfortunately, Harvey was assassinated along with Mayor George Moscone on November 23rd 1978 Dan White. Mr. White was a former supervisor who was angry at Mayor George for opposing the board of supervisors. Not all Americans were full of hatred. The much respected Bill Clinton was the first U.S. President to officially recognize Pride Month in 1999 and 2000. Few years later in 2009 to 2016, Barak Obama declared June as the official Pride Month. Even in our country, India, many people are coming forward as members of the queer community. Some Indians who belong to the queer community are seen in the pride flag sarees during the time of celebration.
India, among many other countries, still has a widespread of homophobia. It is never easy to come out to your close ones that is why celebrating this month is important. A true friend is the one who accepts us as who we are, the one who accepts all of our flaws, not that being queer is flaw. Acceptance is the first step towards supporting a friend who is from the queer community.
It is important to make the queer community believe that their existence matters. Here is when social media influencers and celebrities come forward to spread love and awareness for LGBTQ Community. Celebrities like Jojo Siwa, Laverne Cox, Jessica Biel, Lady Gaga, Donatella Versace and Jonathan Van Ness took to their social media accounts to spread uplifting messages about the LGBTQ Community. Niel Patrick Harris shared a photo of his and his husband David Burtka’s twins, 10-year olds, Harper and Gideon. The beautiful couple was seen celebrating their month with their two adorable sons.
If we think about it, then one doesn’t need to “come out” as queer. Straight people don’t come out as straight, because it’s just the way they are. One should learn to accept themselves regardless of the fact that they are queer or not. Self love comes from within. We should believe that we are enough and worthy of olive, no matter what everyone else says.