On June 28 1969 in the city of New York a bar called Stonewall was raided by police officers, the bar primary served as a place for homosexuals to gather, drink, dance, dress in drag and mostly be themselves. Hard to think about it nowadays but Stonewall was a safe heaven for them, back then many establishments used refused service to homosexuals.
That night the Police came into the Stonewall as They knew the gay patrons had no protections under the law; They came because They Knew They could extort money from their shame; and most importantly They came because They knew They had the power, no one would stand up for gays. The police was wrong, The gays stood up for themselves.
June marks LGBT Pride month in remembrance of the Stonewall riots of 1969 which is pretty much the first time the LGBT community of New York became organized against oppression and discrimination; since then major cities across the globe commemorate this landmark in history by celebrating gay pride with festivals, parties and rallies on the streets. But you may find yourself wondering: What are We so Proud about?
My dear heterosexual reader picture this: find something in you that you consider a primary marker of who you are, perhaps the fact that you are a woman, perhaps you are black, asian, latino, maybe you are a Mother, a Father, a Muslim or a Christian. Now try to picture a world in which that thing that you feel is a valuable piece of who you are is forbidden for the rest of the world to see.
How would you feel if you were asked not to speak about your religion? or not to speak out loud the name of your children? How long could you obey that rule? One day? A month? A year? For those of us whom have had the fortune, courage and support necessary to come out of the closet, been seen for the first time and share ourselves with others is one of the most precious things that We have and that is what pride is about.
For many of us been LGB or T is a primary marker of our identity it has shaped everything since realizing it, it’s been a part of our human development of our process, its more than sex is who we are.
In a world that pressures you to conform and be like the rest to find the uniqueness of yourself is a precious thing, to love the person that you are in face of the rejection and hurtful words is courageous, that is What Pride is about.
Pride isn’t about the colors, the buzz or been irreverent just for been irreverent, heteronormativity (that is the set of rules stated by a primary heterosexual society) has made us irreverent, has made us different, has made us queer without our consent. We did not ask for this but We no longer run away from it, We no longer hide it, We have learned to embrace it, We love it’s a part of us, that is what pride is all about.