Pride exists because for generations, LGBTQIA+ people have been shamed, silenced, criminalized, and killed for simply existing. It began as a protest — most famously at Stonewall in 1969 — against police brutality and systems that punished people for who they loved or how they expressed themselves. It has never been just a party. It has always been about survival, visibility, and the demand for equal rights.

Today, the same forces that made Pride necessary still exist — only now, they hold school board seats, preach from pulpits, and shout into microphones about “protecting children” from queer joy and existence. They attack library books, ban rainbow flags, and label anyone outside their worldview as dangerous. But their fear doesn’t come from being harmed — it comes from losing control.

Ironically, the hate and backlash we see now are the clearest reminders of why Pride is still vital. When people try to erase LGBTQIA+ lives from public view, Pride says: We’re still here. When queer youth are targeted and isolated, Pride says: You are not alone.

So to those who rage against Pride: You are the reason it exists. Every protest sign, every parade float, every rainbow flag is a response to the harm you cause. And every year, we will keep showing up — louder, brighter, and more united — until hate no longer has a place to hide.

MOLLY STEPANSKI

Posen