Written by Lauren James Budhu
June is upon us and you know what that means: it’s Pride Month! Across the globe, cities big and small dust off their rainbow flags to take part in fabulous parades, festivals and concerts to celebrate the LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and others) community, in honor of the 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York City’s Greenwich Village. While this month is super fun with a capital “F,” it is also a chance to delve into the issues facing the Gay Rights Movement– from mental health and homelessness among youth to discrimination against gay, lesbian and bisexual parents.
It’s particularly important to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community now more than ever because last year, numerous states introduced what amounted to more than 400 anti-LGBTQ+ bills. They range from discimination and erasing the community from education curricula, to denying transgender people access to health care, and prohibiting transgender youth from participating in school sports, according to the CAP article “The 2022 Legislative Landscape for LGBTQI+ Rights.”
A prominent bill that has gained national attention was Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, otherwise known as the Parental Rights in Education Act. The bill’s authors aim to prohibit classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity, which advocates say would make LGBTQ+ people “taboo once again in classrooms, setting back the progress made by the LGBTQ+ community in the last few weeks,” Kiara Alfonseca wrote in the article “Florida’s controversial ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill: What’s inside the proposed law.” Something else the bill requires is for parents to be notified if a student uses a new health resource for monitoring of their mental or physical well-being. This could in turn, “out” LGBTQ+-identifying students to their parents without their consent. Overall, activists agree that this bill is a big step backward.
Texas is another place that is looking to remove protections for LGBTQ+ people, particularly the trans community. Gov. Greg Abbott has instructed the child welfare agency to investigate gender-affirming procedures for trans youth as “child abuse.” Further, Pennsylvania is one of 27 states that still does not have any statewide laws protecting people from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in employment, housing, and public accommodations, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer article “2022 is ‘poised to become the year of the most anti-LGBTQ legislation’ in the United States.”
These are just a handful of issues (and unfortunate legislation) facing the LGBTQ+ community today, and they show no sign of going away any time soon. Fortunately, there are many ways to be an ally, show support, and fight for these issues. We can support local LGBTQ+ businesses, donate to nonprofits around the country (such as nonprofits on this list to help out), take part in Pride Month celebrations near you, and stay informed on laws pertaining to the LGBTQ+ community.
