While the parades and the parties give Pride its signature brand of joy, community, and self-expression, it’s also a time to ask ourselves where these traditions come from, what they mean (historically and today), and why they’re still important.Īs an ally, learning more about this history has given me a much deeper appreciation of the tenuousness of LGBTQIA+ rights in this country. True allyship can only be found in tangible action. As allies and fellow citizens, we’re responsible for engaging with these issues and making sure they reach our non-LGBTQIA+ channels and networks. There are deeply troubling, life-threatening issues facing the LGBTQIA+ community today (and in particular the trans community). But at the same time we need to recognize that, as with any aspect of progressive movements, the work is not over simply because the Supreme Court or your Head of HR says so. This openness and acceptance should be celebrated. A broader lexicon–that goes beyond the four big categories of “gay,” “lesbian,” “trans” and “bisexual”–has also helped welcome more people into the community, who previously were unsure where they might fit in. Conversations around pronouns are perhaps not as advanced as we’d like in some spaces, but the issue is being discussed at all levels of society, from families to schools and workplaces. Real progress has been made, and for allies, that means keeping up with these milestones, understanding their impact, and educating others about what they mean.Įven our language has changed. citizens would be able to select their own gender markers on their passports. And just this year, the Biden administration announced U.S. Marriage equality was upheld by the Supreme Court as a constitutional right in 2015. So much has changed for the LGBTQIA+ community in the decade since I left Yale.
Learning more about identities and groups outside of my own is the first step to taking meaningful action on their behalf. To me, being an ally starts with education. I also realized I had more work to do to become engaged and educated. Hearing that story opened my eyes tremendously, and helped me see the LGBTQIA+ community with a new kind of sensitivity and nuance. His parents were accepting of him, but that didn’t erase the fear of rejection and alienation that had already run so deep in his veins for his entire childhood. It was, thankfully, a happy story–but when reading between the lines I could see the anxiety and fear in the backdrop of what he was saying. One of the most memorable moments was hearing my friend’s coming out story. I learned new terminology, made new friends, and listened to stories that powerfully shifted my understanding of their life experiences.
At Yale, there was a thriving scene for LGBTQIA+ folks from all sorts of backgrounds and identities. While I grew up knowing a few individuals within the LGBTQIA+ community, my experience of being an active ally began during college.