Pride month — a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community, a demand for equality across all orientations, an invitation for the world to honor those that fought and sacrificed so that we can celebrate, a movement that’s impact is felt well beyond the month of June.
We asked 7 people to paint a picture of Pride for us — what it means to them, how they continue to celebrate and fight and advice for how we can collectively continue to promote and advocate for our LGBTQ+ community.
Sarah, Creative Director, Artist & Designer, RTR Ambassador, @itssaraheek
What’s your definition of Pride?
For me, Pride is living my everyday life with my family. It’s me showing up and just living. It’s me and the family doing the everyday mundane things. It’s me going out for a run. It’s me grocery shopping. It’s me contemplating what to make the family for dinner. It’s me taking the kids to school. It’s me posting and sharing my life and stories. It’s receiving the hate, getting disgusted looks in public and still carrying on. It’s my existence, my family’s existence challenging the status quo. All of this is Pride. It’s me showing up, making noise and celebrating my love for my family until all of us in the LGBTQ+ community are liberated.
How you plan to/are fighting for LGBTQ+ rights right now:
I always find that change can be big or small, but the small changes can have a huge impact over time. I fight for equality in small ways right in my own home by teaching and raising our children to know and witness love. We teach them about the beauty of differences in colors, races, cultures, religions, body types, etc. I strongly believe that change starts with the children; their generation is the future.
Advice to your younger self:
If I could go back and talk to my younger self, I’d tell her, “It’s all going to work out better than you could ever imagine.” Keep showing up, living, being, because through all the hurt, confusion and the lows you may feel right now, you’ll find a time and a place in your life where you’ll find big love. Someone will come into your life and tell you you are worthy of love, and that will propel you to learn to love yourself.
Words that changed your life:
“Will you marry me?” I obviously said yes.
Mirage, Multi-disciplinary Artist, @mirageandrogyn
What’s your definition of Pride?
Knowledge of oneself. I began to learn about myself most from observing what I was drawn to wear as a child, and with that knowledge, I chose to be empowered with my uniqueness rather than fear it.
How you plan to/are fighting for LGBTQ+ rights right now:
I fight with/through my art by experimenting with many mediums to relay visual emotion. Painting, dancing, woodworking, clothing construction, interior design, singing etc.
Who inspires you to support and fight for LGBTQ+ rights?
Ms. J Alexander, Mr. Pearl and the Queer community as a whole. People deserve to be liberated with rights and fashion choices.
Advice to your younger self:
Listen to your intuition for every situation.
John, Software Engineer & Chair of RTR’s LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group, @quinlivan
What’s your definition of Pride?
Pride is a celebration of diversity and LGBTQ+ people. It also commemorates years of struggle and persecution by countless people to get us to where we are today. Pride means using that privilege to empower those whose voices aren’t heard as loudly, and ensure that people of all genders and orientations feel that they can celebrate who they are without fear.
Proudest moment advocating for your community:
Back in 2015, I was heavily involved in the campaign for marriage equality in Ireland. Ireland was the first country in the world to put same-sex marriage to a public vote as it required a constitutional amendment. In the months leading up to the referendum, I coordinated and led many volunteer events including canvassing many of the rural towns around the city. In the days before the vote, we realized my hometown of Ennis had not been canvassed. Over 50 volunteers travelled each of the three days prior to the referendum and we canvassed over 20,000 houses. The referendum passed with over 62% of the population voting “Yes.” Some of the areas we canvassed in the run up polled at over 83%. I am so proud of the work we all did in clearing the way for marriage equality in Ireland.
Advice to your younger self:
Sounds cliche but, “It really does get better.” Life was tough growing up as gay teenager in rural Ireland back in the ‘90s. I went to an all boys school, so I hid myself as opposed to drawing attention to myself. I remember dreaming of a day when I’d just be able to sit on my couch and hold hands with a man. If I could go back in time, I’d have told myself to dream much bigger. I’d have told myself that one day, you will stand up at your own wedding in front of your friends and family, holding hands with a man you love.
Maeve, Graduate Student, @maeveklly
What’s your definition of Pride?
Pride is the ability to claim full ownership of your identity. It’s about knowing who you are and recognizing the unique ways you embody your identity. It’s also about being able to share your full and authentic self with your community safely and confidently.
How you plan to/are fighting for LGBTQ+ rights right now:
I fight for all members of my community to be able to express themselves truly and fully by educating myself and others. The fight for true equality starts within each of us and it’s our responsibility to read, to listen to those with different experiences than us and to share what we learn with the people closest to us.
I also volunteer with a few local organizations in Orlando like Planned Parenthood and Orlando Youth Alliance to support initiatives which better the community in my city.
How does style play a role in your identity?
If I wear something I don’t feel comfortable in, or something that doesn’t authentically represent my style, I feel bad. Style is a tool of expression and wearing anything other than what I really want to wear makes me suffocated and stifled. When I was younger, in high school and early college, I used to wear stuff that I thought I was expected to or that wouldn’t cause a reaction from my family members, but now that I wear what I want I feel like I’m not only more comfortable, but happier and kinder and able to go after what I want. Style is empowering like that.
Song/art/book that has inspired you:
Audre Lorde and Mary Oliver‘s poetry. Music by Indigo De Souza, Orion Sun, and Brittany Howard makes me feel free.
Words that changed your life:
“If you can’t beat fear, do it scared.” – Glennon Doyle
Bonnie Callahan, Graduate Student, Teacher, Northeast Coordinator of an Arts Nonprofit, Content Creator, @_bonniec
How you plan to/are fighting for LGBTQ+ rights right now:
I advocate for the community by telling my story and sharing my identity unapologetically. In my content, I try to bring up issues that are important to me, such as my struggles as a bisexual woman, gender expression and the weight of social expectations. Education is also so important. Being a member of the community myself doesn’t mean I understand everyone’s identity, story, or sexuality.
Advice to your younger self?
Don’t let them fool you — there is no one way to live your life. Your timeline, your goals, and your self expression do not have to conform to what other people expect of you. I spent way too much time trying to make other people happy, and in the process, I made myself miserable and lost sight of what I even wanted. Don’t be intimidated by differences and be unapologetically yourself.
Cella Desharnais, Release Planning at Sony Music and Executive Director of Color of Music Collective, @celladesh
What’s your definition of Pride?
It’s the safety and freedom to be your best, most queer self, in whatever form you see best fit.
How you plan to/are fighting for LGBTQ+ rights right now:
For me, I choose to fight for it by continuing to facilitate the hard discussions with the nonprofit I run, Color of Music Collective. We’re a nonprofit advocating for representation for POC and the LGBTQ+ community in the music industry. Part of what I fight so hard for is more accessibility for younger POC/LGBTQ+ folks to be in the rooms with higher level executives who have the platform to create change. I also love to be loud and proud about my queerness, while advocating for those who don’t feel safe doing so. It’s all about making the most of your platform in whatever ways you can, and for doing your part to share the stage with other folks who have less of a voice.
Advice to your younger self?
You will find love. You will find a love where you feel safe to love fully and wholly. You can work in music, pursue your dreams and have a stable life. Keep your heart open, don’t stress over fitting into the mold, travel more and take lots of deep breaths!
Song/art/literature that has inspired you?
Every word written and sung by Phoebe Bridgers.
Words that changed your life?
My therapist once said, “get above the feeling.” It’s absolutely changed the way I approach things on a daily basis.
Braunwyn Windham Burke, Public Figure, RTR Ambassador, @braunwynwindhamburke
What’s your definition of Pride?
My definition of Pride is being comfortable in your own skin, it’s being proud of who you are, it’s being able to stand up and say out loud, “I am a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and I am me”. Pride is celebrating its roots, and listening and amplifying the voices of Black and transgender folks in the community.
How does style play a role in your identity?
The best thing about style is that you can try on a new persona for the day. Do I want to be that badass who wears black for the day and takes on the world? Do I want to be romantic and flowery? Style is the outward reflection of what you are feeling on the inside, or even who you aspire to be. I gather strength through clothing — sometimes it’s my armor.
Words that changed your life:
Glennon Doyle’s Untamed changed my life. Her book was a window into the life I could have if only I was brave enough.