OPINION: ‘Pride month – and in fact, every month – is a time for all of us to keep pushing for equality,’ says B.C. Secretary for Gender Equity
VICTORIA— June is Pride month, an event steeped in history that carries with it joy, pain, anger and profound importance for so many people in B.C. each year.
This year, Pride month began with the killing of George Floyd, which initiated an international outcry for police reforms and the need to tackle systemic racism. The widespread protests sparked from this injustice are a critical reminder of the ongoing struggle for equality and how Pride month came about from a history rooted in protests led by Black and Hispanic LGBTQ2S+ activists.
Pride is a celebration of love. And for many, Pride is also a protest for equality and a time to honour trans activists of colour – such as Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera – who led the Stonewall protests, fighting to modernize LGBTQ2S+ rights, pushing justice, equality and love for all to the forefront.
For me, Pride is also a recognition of the challenges many people continue to confront simply because of who they are. Even as we acknowledge the progress LGBTQ2S+ people have fought for, I appreciate how far we still have to go to make sure that everyone has the right to be who they are without fear and stigma, regardless of the colour of their skin, gender identity or sexual orientation.