Happy Pride Month!
June is Pride Month, and as long as I write this blog, I will always publish a blog acknowledging Pride in the month of June.
In the last week, I’ve seen 2 positive Pride posts on a community Facebook page. One was celebrating that the rainbow crosswalk would be repainted, and the other showed a picture of the lovely Pride display at Giant Tiger. There were many positive responses to these posts, and unfortunately, there were also many hateful and disturbing ones. I was shocked when I probably shouldn’t have been. These small positive gestures show others that our community is inclusive and inviting, and to see that they evoked such disgusting responses strongly indicates how important and critical Pride continues to be.
These acts of acceptance might also show youth in the community that they are not alone and that it is safe to come out. Suicide is the 2nd cause of death in youth, and those identifying as LGBTQIA+ are 5 times more likely to consider suicide and 7 times more likely to attempt suicide. Source
Pride is a time for celebration, festivities, connection, and protest, which I’ve participated in for decades. I was first introduced to Pride sometime in the 1980s when I lived with my daughter’s father in a small ground-level apartment at Church and Wellesley in Toronto. One early June morning, we were awakened by loud music and boisterous singing and saw a long chorus line of individuals dressed in the most outlandish outfits performing the cancan. We jumped out of bed and went to Church Street, where we discovered many booths and stages being set up, spoke to some participants, and first heard about Pride. At the time, we saw it as a party and significant celebration, which it is, but as we learned, there is an essential rich history that needs to be remembered and rejoiced. The LGBTQIA+ community has consistently knocked down walls of discrimination through activism, demonstrations, community engagement, music, art, and politics.
This liberation movement in North America began with New York City’s unprecedented Stonewall Riots, which took place on June 28th, 1969. The New York Police Department had attempted a raid on a popular gay bar in the heart of Greenwich Village that night, but the bar’s patrons had enough, fought back hard, and won. Since then, Pride has evolved from a relatively small, grassroots event that has grown into a worldwide celebration with more than 1 million participants at WorldPride 2014 in Toronto. Pride now represents the full spectrum of gender identity, sexuality, race, ethnicity, class, and ability.
While discrimination and violence against LGBTQIA+ people persist in many places, significant strides have been made in recent decades. In Canada, the LGBTQIA+ community has enjoyed many victories:
Medical and political responses to the HIV/AIDS crisis.
1992 Federal court lifted the ban on gays and lesbians in the military.
1994 Supreme Court ruling that gays and lesbians could apply for refugee status based on facing persecution in their countries of origin.
1995 ruling in Ontario that allowed same-sex couples to adopt.
In 2003, the first same-sex couple married in Canada.
These above-mentioned legal achievements are fantastic, but did you know that conversion therapy only became illegal in all provinces and territories in Canada in 2022? Did you know that more than 70 countries still criminalize LGBTQIA+ people, some with the death penalty? Source
I worry about our neighbours to the south of us. If Roe v Wade could be overturned, what’s next? There have been more than a few rumblings about making same-sex marriage illegal. Much work must be done to ensure everyone lives freely and is safe. Many of today’s Pride celebrations focus on individuals abroad who face violent persecution.
Pride continues to matter and reminds me of yoga’s ancient ethical practices, Pantanjali’s Yamas. These guidelines provide deep wisdom that gives direction to a well-lived and joyful life. The first two jewels of the Yamas (restraints) apply to Pride.
Ahimsa means non-violence and is the core foundation of all yoga philosophy and practice. Non-violence means to do no harm to others or self, physically or with thoughts and words.
Satya means truthfulness and goes beyond the importance of being honest. It also means to be authentic and genuine with a strong need to belong and be accepted. Not to be told who and how to love.
Happy Pride! Celebrate and be with others who support Pride and get involved, and if attending Pride events is not your thing, then take some time to pause and reflect on how you can be a model of inclusion in your life, committing to listening, understanding, and learning. Always speak up when you see or hear homophobic comments. Outside of June, continue to be a positive voice for inclusion.
What are your plans for Pride?
Peace and blessings.
Anita
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