This year, 2019, marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York. For those of you who do not know about the Stonewall riots, here is a brief description of the event:
In the early hours of June 28, 1969, New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club located in Greenwich Village in New York City. The raid sparked a riot among bar patrons and neighborhood residents as police roughly hauled employees and patrons out of the bar, leading to six days of protests and violent clashes with law enforcement outside the bar on Christopher Street, in neighboring streets and in nearby Christopher Park. The Stonewall Riots served as a catalyst for the gay rights movement <https://www.history.com/topics/gay-rights/history-of-gay-rights> in the United States and around the world.
As we celebrate pride this year, it is it important to look back at the history of the LGBTQIA+ population, and to honor those who came before us. They sacrificed SO much, and their sacrifice has resulted in the rights we have today. To celebrate PRIDE this year, let us take a minute to talk about what PRIDE means to the people around us.
I asked several people what PRIDE means to them and here are their answers. Please feel free to include what it means to you in the comments section below.
- “Pride, to me, is remembering our history, and honoring everyone fighting for our community to just exist. Remembering Pride and who fought before us… The cafeteria riots and the Stonewall riots were just the beginning as we continue to fight. To learn, and continue to grow as our community evolves, also to love and accept the changes and evolution of our community.”
- “Pride means accepting and loving myself for who I am. It means coming out to my family, friends, and others to show my true, authentic self. It means honoring the people who came before me to bring more acceptance and love to our community. It means being in community with my people and celebrating who we are and the progress we have made in society.”
- “It means I am the only one who defines who I am.self-acceptance”
- “Pride is joy and celebration of my full self and the beautiful rainbow of people in out LGBTQIA+ community! It’s shared experience and safety and love in a crowd of strangers and friends.”
- “Pride = life. The ability to live out loud with courage, vulnerability, and self acceptance.”
- “Pride means being yourself against all odds.”
- “Pride is not only a celebration of community, but it is also a reminder of our struggles, how far we have come and where we still need to go.”
- “Pride means I get to be my full self. And to have conversations with friends about the full spectrum of what it means to be queer. I just had a conversation with a bi friend about privilege and being in relationship with cis het men, and how we can still express our queer love as a part of that. Pride means loving all my people, and celebrating who we are in community.”
- “Pride… It’s a feeling that you are who you are and that there are others like you. Chosen family and safety in community.”
What does Pride mean to you?
Blog written by Sentier therapist Ashley Groshek, LMFT.
