By: Priya MigneaultHappy Pride Month! Every June people from across the globe come together in online forums, parades, and meetings to celebrate and acknowledge the history and identities of the millions of people who are in the LGBTQIA+ community. Pride Month has been celebrated in countries worldwide for a few decades in honour and commemoration of the Stonewall riots that happened in June 1969. In the beginning, Pride Month mostly celebrated those who identified as gay (G) and lesbian (L), however it has expanded to the acronym LGBTQIA+ to include people of all sexualities and orientations. These include: L (Lesbian): Individuals who identify as female who feel attracted to other female-identifing individuals. G (Gay): Individuals who identify as male who feel attracted to other male-identifying individuals. B (Bisexual): A person who feels attracted to more than one gender. T (Transgender): A person who identifies as a different gender than what they were assigned at birth. Q (Queer): This is an umbrella term for people who identify as non-heterosexual (not straight). It is a slightly controversial term, as it was originally a slang word, but many individuals particularly younger LGBTQIA+ youth have been reclaiming it and making it more common within conversations. I (Intersex): A person who is born with sexual anatomy that is neither male nor female. A (Asexual): Asexual is an umbrella term for a multiple sexualities, these include asexual (a person who feels little to no sexual attraction to others), demi-sexual (a person who does not feel sexual attraction to a person until a strong emotional bond is formed), grey-sexual (a person who experiences sexual attraction infrequently), aromantic (a person who feels little to no romantic attraction), and demi-romantic (a person who does not feel romantic attraction to a person until a strong emotional bond is formed).
Please note these are not all the terms that fall within the LGBTQIA+ community. Many people have embraced the new terms and the increased frequency of their use in day-to-day life, however some people do not understand the point of having so many labels and why queer individuals want to be labeled. Even some people who would fall into the LGBTQIA+ community prefer not to use a definitive label, so why is that? Well, many individuals who choose to use the label(s) that best suits them use it because it connects them to a community and a solid sense of security and identity; whereas others find them restrictive and are uncomfortable putting themselves into a ‘box’. A common saying is that ‘sexuality is fluid’, which many who are labelless feel strongly as they do not want to be confined to one specific term. Those who prefer to be labeless say that using a term to describe themselves creates a “pressure to figure (themselves) out”. One person said, “Labels change throughout your life, and when you put a label on yourself it feels like it’s hard to change”. Whereas, individuals who enjoy having a label say it’s important to them because it allows them to “feel alike to other people and that who (they are) is not something to be ashamed of”. An individual who identifies as transgender and gay says, “Having a label enabled me to find a community of people that have the same or similar experiences as me, (which) has really let me come to terms about how it’s okay to be different.” For many being able to identify with a community of others has made them feel less alone in who they are and their struggles of finding acceptance. People of all sexualities and gender identities have been around since the dawn of humankind, however in the past century the terms LGBTQIA+ have begun being used more widely and with them drawing extreme criticism and violence. The origin of Pride Month and Pride parade, as previously stated, started at the Stonewall riot. The riot occurred in 1969 in the morning on June 28th after a police raid occurred at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York, that was regulary known to host drag performers and shelter runaway and homeless queer youth. Thirteen people were arrested including employees and patrons, however this was not the first police sanctioned raid on the Inn. Many of the patrons refused to disperse from the bar after growing tired of being threatened and a target for the New York police. Already on edge, the crowd began throwing objects at the police after one officer assaulted a lesbian getting into a cop car. The whole scene erupted into a riot of hundreds of people within minutes, leading to the fire department, and riot squad being called in. Protests continued to be held over the next five days, drawing in thousands of supporters, and national media. Nowadays, many celebrate and commemorate those who fought at Stonewall and those who fight for LGBTQIA+ rights every June throughout Pride Month. References: https://www.history.com/topics/gay-rights/the-stonewall-riots https://lgbtqhealth.ca/community/ https://www.history.com/topics/gay-rights/history-of-gay-rights Want to learn more? Check out our other articles and recent news stories below:
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