Celebrating Pride Month
As the weather warms up and we start getting those Colorado afternoon rain storms, it is time to open your closet and bust out your rainbow and/or leather gear for PRIDE MONTH! There are so many activities that are going on this month to celebrate and gather together the LGBTQ community and allies, and frankly….we need it. Each year it seems that it is only getting worse with the amount of legislation against LGBTQ rights with the brunt of it focused on the trans community for their right to exist in the world as their full selves. This can make you feel that every day living authentically is an act of protest, which is both beautiful and very exhausting. PRIDE month gives everyone a chance to carve out a public space to focus on celebration and love, and I am all for it.
You may be asking, “Why is this girl talking about PRIDE? Isn’t she an accessibility consultant? Shouldn’t she be talking about disability?” And that’s the thing. All of this work is intersectional. People with disabilities are also part of the LGBTQ community, and good advocacy work requires a holistic model of each person. It is my responsibility to uphold my value of EXCELLENCE by acknowledging and celebrating each person’s individuality. The “stay in your lane” mentality does not advance justice. We are complex beings, and progress requires holistic and complex advocacy work.
I have also found that discriminatory phrases and or comments that are used against the LGBTQ community are often repeated towards other marginalized groups. You can see this plainly from the sign above stating “STOP TRYING TO CONTROL OUR BODIES.” In this case, a clear correlation can be drawn from the struggles for trans people to pursue gender affirming care to the fight for abortion rights for women and other birthing people. This is also echoed in the historical movement against forced sterilization and reproductive freedom for people with disabilities. We are all connected in a battle for our ability to live our life authentically and make our own choices, and we are so much stronger working together.
I talked a lot about the difficulty and seriousness of this work in this blog but I don’t want to forget about the JOY that makes Pride month so special. This last weekend while in Steamboat for a race, I was able to attend their family friendly PRIDE celebration at City Hall. There were flags, glitter, and joy everywhere I looked. I was able to spend time with friends who are a part of the LGBTQ community, laughing and smiling in the opportunity to be a part of their world fully. These friends have shaped me into who I am, and taught me about bravery, trust, RuPaul, lipsticks versus chapsticks, and so much more. My life is infinitely better with them being able to be authentically themselves, and I will continue fighting for that freedom.
If you are an advocate for the rights of people with disabilities, I encourage you to think if you are truly diversifying your support or if you are staying in the “safe zone.” If you are fully on board as an ally, then don’t put that PRIDE merch in the closet only for June. I encourage you to wear your t-shirts and rainbow earrings out to the grocery store or while doing errands every day of the year. Take up space with your message of support and joy. It may feel uneasy or uncomfortable, but we all need to recognize that some people can’t or choose not to pass, and they live every day exposed. Other ways to show your support are donating to your local LGBTQ advocacy group, shoping from Queer owned businesses, and attending PRIDE events. When we show up for others, we are also showing up for ourselves. I hope to see you out there. You will find me in my “Let Trans Kids Play” shirt, come say hi.