June: Pride Month

"Gay Pride, LGBT Pride or simply Pride is the positive stance against discrimination and violence toward lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people to promote their self-affirmation, increase their visibility as a social group, build community and celebrate sexual diversity and gender variance. Pride, as opposed to shame and social stigma, is the predominant outlook that bolsters most LGBT rights movements throughout the world. "   Wikipedia: Gay Pride

Pride Month, which is every June in the USA, is our opportunity to celebrate and honor ourselves and our community. It is our month to remind the larger society that we're here, we contribute to the common good and that our rights as citizens are just as important as are the rights of everyone else within our country. We deserve and expect the same recognition and respect as do all the other cultures that make up these United States.

This is particularly important now, in 2012. As a social entity, we are in the midst of a struggle to secure equality on many different fronts. Foremost is the securing of marriage equality. Next is to combat the violence and bullying directed against LGBT peoples. The passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which includes our community as a protected class. Ours is a slow march towards full rights as citizens.

The list of tasks before us are many in order to achieve full equality. So much that some may become disheartened and depressed. However, there is a silver lining inside this cloud. Our support is slowly growing. Public opinion polls now suggest that slightly over one-half of all voters support some type of official recognition of same gender partnerships. President Barack Obama has publicly stated his support of gay marriage. This is the first time a sitting U. S. president has done so. Following this announcement, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has done the same. Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Secretary of State Colin Powell, a prominent figure in the Republican Party, has publicly stated that he has no problem with gay marriage.

This June, Pride Month offers us the chance to celebrate and rejuvenate. Let's use it as a time to honor our accomplishments and our pride in being us. Let's use it as a time to renew ourselves and our energy for the struggles that lie ahead. We've come too far to just give up the cause now.  

Happy LGBT Pride Month!

Respectfully,

Black Lover Naked