Presented by the EDI Committee | Co-authored by Hianna Sabo and Justin Johnson
Unless you are close to someone who identifies as LGBTQIA (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, (questioning), intersex, asexual, and agender), beyond what media and news outlets want you to know, it is very likely that you don’t know what taking part in Pride Month means.
As much as we adored Robin Williams’ Roland Goldman in The Birdcage, marveled at Mila Kunis and Natalie Portman’s kiss in Black Swan, or felt sorry for Benedict Cumberbatch’s Alan Turing in The Imitation Game, once everyday life returns, it’s easy to fall back into taboos and shove skeletons into closets.
But we can change that, and it starts by educating yourself.
Pride Month’s roots are based on the celebration to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. In the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, armed police officers raided the Stonewall Inn, the center of the LGBTQIA community in Manhattan, New York. Gay and lesbian bar raids were a regular occurrence in the years preceding the Stonewall riots, but this raid — in which 13 patrons were violently arrested — represented a tipping point. Fed up, hundreds of people rioted, protested, and fought back. A year after the riots, the last Sunday in June was celebrated as Gay Pride Day.
In 1999, President Clinton issued a proclamation in which Gay Pride Day was expanded to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. Today, Pride celebrates the spectrum of sexual orientations and gender identities.
Over the many years following the Stonewall event (and before), there have been many struggles and wins for the LGBTQIA community including the HIV/AIDS epidemic, anti-gay laws, legalization of gay marriage, and so on.
Despite a tragic past, the future is bright.
For example, 1 in 6 Gen Z adults (born after 1990) identify as LGBTQIA, and as this generation gets older, it’s anticipated that the percentage will go up. They are the generation that grew up open to coming out sooner, having more LBGTQIA representations in the media, seeing gay rights gain momentum, and understanding Gay Marriage is just Marriage.
What does that mean? Each step towards progress makes a difference. Each shared experience strengthens the ability of someone else to live a better life.
As a company, Evergreen is exceptionally passionate about Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). We support our LGBTQIA Evergreen community and beyond. We embrace this mindset in how we conduct business and with whom we do it.
If you want to make a positive difference in everyone’s life, but especially in those who identify as LGBTQIA, here are a few suggestions:
- Be open-minded. In order to provide equal opportunities and services to everyone, equity, diversity, and inclusion should not be seen as an obstacle, but as an opportunity to meet a wide range of needs.
- Be willing to talk and listen.
- Confront your own prejudices and bias, even if it is uncomfortable to do so.
- Try not to assume how others identify. Someone close to you could be looking for support in their coming-out process. Not making assumptions will give them the space they need!
- Anti-LGBTQIA comments and jokes are harmful. Let your friends, family, and co-workers know that you find them offensive.
- Believe that all people, regardless of gender identity and sexual orientation, have the right to be treated with dignity and respect.
For those celebrating Pride Month, enjoy. It’s important.
Cited Resources:
https://www.loc.gov/lgbt-pride-month/about/
https://ok2bme.ca/resources/kids-teens/what-does-lgbtq-mean/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/02/24/gen-z-lgbt/
https://www.glaad.org/resources/ally/2