Navigating Pride as an Ally

Every year there are two months that come up as the epicenter of LGBTQIA Pride and celebration: June and October. This year June Pride will look a little different but in many ways, it will continue on as it has for over fifty years – parades will pop-up, drag brunches will commence, and rainbows will be painted on city sidewalks.

Many major corporations jump on the bandwagon and say that they are devoted allies, often much to the chagrin of the queer community. Similar sentiments arise over people who come to Pride just for the party.

While we have to be careful not to assume who is part of the LGBTQIA family and who is coming in from the outside, there is truth in feeling concerned about people who are not queer being performative allies.

If you are straight and cisgender and you desire to show solidarity and support during Pride, here are three ways to be a present and an active ally that enhances Pride instead of detracting from it.

Read: 14 Pride Purchases That Support LGBTQ+ Communities

Know What Pride Is

Many people even within the queer community don’t know what Pride truly stands for or how it got started.

Pride celebrations are mostly conducted in June as commemoration of the Stonewall Riots and first Pride parade. In June 1969, a riot took place at The Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, NY when patrons refused to be harassed and imprisoned by the police who were raiding the bar. This was the norm at the time since being LGBTQ was illegal and if you were caught behaving in a way that police deemed as "unacceptable" you were fined or even sent to an asylum and lobotomized.

The LGBTQIA patrons that night in 1969 decided they would no longer allow this discrimination and started to fight back against the police. This got the attention of the media and a historical paradigm shift began. One year later the people who had rallied gathered again and celebrated with a parade.

Thus, Pride was born.

In October 1979, the first Gay and Lesbian March on Washington took place. This solidified LGBTQIA rights in the political conversation. That is why October is another month when Pride can be held as it is now LGBTQIA history month and the month when National Coming Out Day is celebrated.

Pride is not just a party, it is a rallying cry. It is political. It is a place of joy that is born from great fear and pain. If you come to Pride as an ally, it is important to remember its past and current significance.

Read: 11 Ways You Can Celebrate Pride Virtually

Make Sure You are Coming to Learn and Listen

Part of being an ally is remembering that listening and not always interjecting your thoughts is important to be impactful and welcomed. If you haven’t lived a certain experience, do not try to pretend that you know what it's like. It is vital that you come and take in what marginalized communities are experiencing and the ways you can help.

For example, understanding that transgender women of color are some of the most vulnerable people to experiencing everything from homelessness to homicide is important to acknowledge the very real danger communities face and the emotional toll it takes to exist as a member of that community.