Happy Pride! I hope you are all celebrating in whatever way you enjoy with the people you love. Love is love, so be proud!
For those of you who don’t belong to the LGBTQ+ community, or are seeking ways to learn more about it, or want to be a better ally, or any combination thereof, take this time to become better acquainted with LGBTQ+ history and ways to support them. Here are a few tips to get you started.
- Look into historical LGBTQ+ figures and understand how far we’ve come and what we’ve done to get here. You can learn about big names such as Frida Kahlo and Freddie Mercury, or you can look into the lesser-known but still enormously important people such as Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson, both gay rights activists.
- Consume media created by or about LGBTQ+ people. Based on a true story, The Imitation Game (2014) is a fantastic thriller chronicling Alan Turing’s attempts to break the Nazi’s codes during World War II and allocates a significant amount of time towards Turing’s sexuality. Check out Alison Bechdel’s graphic memoirs detailing her relationship with her family while navigating her sexuality. Go to your local library and ask for LGBTQ+ recommendations!
- Support LGBTQ+ businesses. Try Otherwild, owned by a queer woman and selling LGBTQ+-inspired products. Or Fluide, a shop specializing in makeup for every gender there is. There’s also Rebirth Garments, selling clothes designed for nonbinary, trans, disabled, and queer people of all body types. And many more!