June is Pride Month

You may have a photographic memory, you may stand 6’ tall; you may be the youngest in a large family. Has anyone ever threatened your life, because of any of those things? Be blessed, if you answered “no” to that question. Being proud of a natural attribute isn’t really something to brag about; unless you can say you live your life, being you, and no one targets you because of your natural attributes...that’s pretty amazing!

No one from the LGBTQ community can brag that they live their lives, being themselves, free of persecution. Whether they are the youngest member of their family, stand 6’ tall, or have a photographic memory, society sees them all as a threat to the status quo. All because they’re not “normal”. They are still humans; but because they’re not straight, or happy with their own outward appearance, they are vilified, tortured, killed…..hated. Why? They can’t change who they are, anymore than you or I can. They are who they are; and they’ve been around for centuries.

In 1897, Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld (German physician and sexologist) founded the first gay liberation organization, in Germany; it was called the Scientific Humanitarian Committee. All the way back in the 19th century! Chances are, you know a few folks from the LGBTQ community, and don’t even realize it. That's ok, though....if they want you to know they identify as LGBTQ, they'll tell you.

You should recognize some of these beloved faces; they are part of the LGBTQ community

Consider this....say, you want to have a nose job. You save up the money, find the surgeon, and get the procedure done. No one ever threatens your life, just because you changed your appearance; in fact, some people even compliment you on how good your new nose looks. Someone who is transgender, having changed their entire appearance, wouldn't be that blessed. There are some who set out to kill transgender people, because they changed their outward appearance. That's just crazy! Stop being afraid of other human beings!

According to Human Rights Campaign, there were at least 26 deaths of transgender people in the U.S. due to fatal violence, in 2018. And, as of this report, at least eight more have lost their lives via an act of violence, this year.

FYI: transgender people have been using public restrooms since those became a thing; the very first public toilets were introduced in 1851. Nobody ever cared, until we were told that allowing a transgender person to use a public restroom was dangerous, for heteronormative people. The hate-mongering propaganda needs to stop!

Matthew Shepard was gay; he was beaten, tortured (and left for dead) on October 6, 1998
He died six days, later. He was only 22 years old

Let’s look at some facts about the LGBTQ community, for a moment….

• 4 out of 10 LGBTQ youth (under 18 years of age) say the community where they live, is not accepting of LGBTQ people
• 26% of LGBTQ youth say their biggest issues are not being accepted by their family, bullies at school, and fear of being outed
• LGBTQ youth are almost five times as likely to have attempted suicide, compared to heterosexual youth
• Only 20 states and the District of Columbia have anti-discrimination or anti-bullying laws that explicitly protect LGBTQ students
• Most LGBTQ people are white, female, and aren’t raising children; only 29% of the LGBTQ population, in the United States, are raising a family
• 27% of the country’s LGBTQ population are food insecure
• 25% have an income of less than $25,000 per year; and 9% are unemployed

“While there is widespread public support for making discrimination against LGBT people illegal, only a minority of states have laws that specifically protect LGBT people.” (ACLU)

We the People need to change that; the LGBTQ community needs protected in EVERY state; just like us "normal" folks! They need to know that they are accepted, for who they are! There is absolutely NO reason to hate someone, just because they don't fit the ideal image of a "normal" person! That's just evil!

Here's a brief history lesson for you...

• Francis Bacon, the Father of modern science, was gay (1623)
• Thomas Cannon (1749) wrote what may be the earliest published defense of homosexuality in English, “Ancient and Modern Pederasty Investigated and Exemplify’d.”
• Dr. James Barry, a gay trans man, performs the first successful Caesarean section by a European doctor in Africa (1820)
• Eleanor Roosevelt, was a noted human rights activist, and the longest-serving first lady. Throughout her life, she had numerous romantic relationships with women, including Amelia Earhart and reporter, Lorena Hickok (1884)
• Alan Hart, a trans man who pioneered the use of X-ray photography in tuberculosis detection, saving thousands of lives, was born in 1890
• Lili Ilse Elvenes (also known as Lili Elbe), a Danish transgender woman, becomes one of the first recipients of gender affirmation surgery (1931)
• Homosexuality is decriminalized in Illinois, the first state to do so (1961)
• The first gay rights demonstration in the United States takes place on September 19, 1964 at the Whitehall Induction Center in New York City, protesting against discrimination in the military
• Police raid the Stonewall Inn in New York City in the early hours of June 28, 1969. This leads to four days of struggle between police and LGBT people. Transgender people, LGBT people of color, and youth are a major part of these “riots” that mark the birth of the modern LGBT movement

Speaking of movements, there's a recent "movement" of straight pride, gearing up in Boston. They want their own parade, and everything; I have to say, it's beyond ridiculous! This meme sums up that laughable ideal, more than I ever could...

I am a person who counts all human beings worthy of being recognized for who they are; but the childishness of the "Straight Pride" movement is just pathetic! Nobody needs a pat on the head for being heteronormative. No straight person gets harassed, bullied, beaten, or killed for being straight!

I am, however, proud to count myself among the LGBTQ+ allies; I have several friends, and family members, who identify as LGBTQ, and I love them dearly! They are human beings, just like you and me; and I will fight for their right to exist, the same as you and I do….without fear of being beaten, harassed, discriminated against, or killed simply for being themselves.

Throughout history, and present day, there have been countless numbers of people who identify as LGBTQ+, who have made astounding contributions to society; yet, they are still vilified and treated poorly, simply because of who they are. America was built by different people; and we've always touted our country as being the land of the free! So why do we still treat "different", as though it is wrong? When the LGBTQ+ community are considered "normal" human beings, I'll still be an ally; but I will, then, be the ally of worthy humans. Not an ally for marginalized groups.