Pride Month June 2020

Pride Month June 2020 Pride Month looks a little different this year, though the spirit of celebration and advocacy is still with us. Where we usually step into the streets as members and allies of the LGBTQ2+ community, this year we celebrate in our homes and hearts. History On June 28, 1969, New York police raided the Stonewall Inn, a club frequented by members of the LGBTQ community. Dozens of queer patrons were publicly arrested, shamed, and persecuted. Though police raids were not an uncommon occurrence experienced by the queer community, this night was different. The patrons and residents of Greenwich Village fought back and a riot broke out. The protests grew and continued over days, garnering widespread publicity, support, and queer activism. The annual celebration of Pride Month not only stands to commemorate the Stonewall Uprising, it is a time to reflect on where we came from and where we go from here. In Canada, same-sex relationships were decriminalized a day before the Stonewall Riots. The Criminal Law Amendment Act was introduced by then-Justice Minister Pierre Trudeau who famously remarked, "There's no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation." Despite this significant decision, discrimination against the queer community was prevalent in the workplace, in the rule of law, and within society at large. This culminated into Canada’s first Gay Liberation Protest and March in 1971, where queer activists and allies gathered to demand equal rights. Though the protests became more frequent and garnered greater public support, police raids that targeted Canada’s queer community continued, including The Brunswick Four, the Montréal Olympic ‘Clean Up’, Bathhouse raids, Operation Soap, and so on. Only four years ago, Police Chief Mark Saunders, alongside Mayor John Tory, offered a public apology for the raids. To put into perspective, queer rights have only been recognized in the last few decades: • Discrimination against sexual orientation was added to the Canadian Human Rights Act in 1996 • Queers have been allowed to serve in the Canadian Armed Forces since 1992 • Same-sex marriage was legalized in Canada in 2005 • Gender identity and gender expression were added to the Canadian Human Rights Act in 2017 • Refugees are allowed to apply for asylum to Canada based on sexual orientation persecution as of 2020 These are only a few of our accomplishments towards a more progressive and inclusive society that we can celebrate. Still, there is much more to be done. What You Can Do to Support Pride Month 1. Educate Yourself and Others Understanding why we need to celebrate and advocate for the LGBTQ2+ community is the first step. In many countries around the world, members of the LGBTQ2+ community are still persecuted: they are denied basic human rights such as housing, employment, the choice to marry, the ability to adopt, and the opportunity to vote, among other things. Click here to learn more about countries that criminalize LGBTQ2+ people. 2. Language Matters Did you know that the + in LGBTQ2+ means there are at least 16 terms used to describe members of the community? Do you know what Pansexual refers to, or what it means to be Two-Spirited? Being an ally with the community begins by communicating in a respectful way. 3. Donate Rainbow Railroad helps LGBTQ2+ members escape persecution and violence by providing support, travel, and connections to safe new homes. Those in the community often experience violence at home, school, or at the hands of strangers. Prejudice may also be systemic and come from governments who persecute members of the community. 4. Participate Find out how to participate in Pride Month in digital ways! .

Load more