Pride Means Equality For All

As we commemorate pride month, it is important to remember, especially in light of recent events, that before pride was a worldwide celebration, it started as a riot. In 1969 at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in NYC’s Greenwich village, Marsha P. Johnson and other queer people of colour stood up to police—refusing to accept the brutality and discrimination that they had endured for decades based on their sexual and gender identities.

The riot and protests went on for several days, now known as the Stonewall Uprising which served as a catalyst for the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. The pride celebrations we enjoy today are because of the black and brown queer and trans folks that took a stand against police brutality. There can be no pride without equality for all. Black Lives Matter.

By Dr. Ilana Davine, C. Psych.

Resources:

Toronto: https://www.the519.org and https://www.pridetoronto.com

Ontario: https://www.rainbowhealthontario.ca

https://queerontario.org/resources/directory/

Halton: https://www.halton.ca/For-Residents/Sexual-Health/LGBTQ

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