gold-afternoon:

What is gay pride? By definition “a sense of dignity and satisfaction in connection with the public acknowledgment of one’s own homosexuality”

Pride is so much more than a celebration of who you are. Or as some non LGBTQ people say “an excuse to flaunt their sexuality”

It’s a positive stance against discrimination and violence towards LGBTQ people.

Very few establishments welcomed openly gay people in the 1950s and 1960s. The ones that did were owned by the Mob. Police raids on gay bars were routine in the 60s.

It was illegal to be gay and wear clothes that weren’t typically of your gender. “Standard procedure was to line up the patrons, check their identification, and have female police officers take customers dressed as women to the bathroom to verify their sex, upon which any men dressed as women would be arrested.”

On June 28, 1969, at Stonewall Inn, bar patrons clashed with police officers, in a raid that would have otherwise resulted in arrests and public shaming. The patrons fought back, setting off what we now know as the modern LGBT movement.. it’s often forgotten that transgender women of colour made the biggest impact in this.

June 28, 1970 Marked the first anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, Christopher Street Liberation day took place… the first Gay pride march in U.S history.

So pride began as a riot.

Calgarys first march took place in 1990. “The first event was marked by marchers wearing paper bags over their heads, both out of fear of being identified and as a protest against the stigma that keeps LGBT people in the Closet”

It was officially recognized by the city in 1991. That’s not very long ago.

People go on about the “Gay Agenda” as if there is one. LGBTQ people have only ever wanted to be treated as equals.

Or where there “Straight Pride” is. Guess what? The world is your straight pride. How many of you have felt fear for something as simple as holding hands with someone you love? Or sharing a quick hello or goodbye kiss? If your answer is no, then you must be straight. Something this simple still strikes fear because of how others may react.

It’s illegal to be gay in 72 countries and 8 are punishable by death.

We have pride to show ourselves as a community, show closeted people or those struggling with themselves that hey it’s okay, there are people just like you.

Together we stand to fight bigotry, discrimination and intolerance. The more we are seen, the more we put ourselves out there, the better it is.

We are here, we’ve always been here. We’ve been shamed for who we are, but what is the opposite of shame? Pride 🏳️‍🌈