Today begins Pride Month, celebrating and commemorating those who identify as LGBTQ community members, as well as their supporters and allies.

The first Pride march in New York City was held on June 28, 1970, according to the Library of Congress. That happened on the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the U.S.

In the late 1960s, being openly gay was broadly prohibited in most places. In 1969, patrons of the Stonewall Inn, a popular bar with predominantly LGBTQ customers, stood their ground after police raided the establishment, unknowingly making history, beginning such a vast and important movement.

More than 50 years ago, people stood their ground for the generations to come in hopes they could just be themselves, openly and proudly.

Since then, the month of June has been filled with events, marches, parades, festivities, and remembrances for greater unity, visibility, and equality for the LGBTQ community. It’s also a time to reflect on the history and milestones of the past 50 years, though there’s still plenty of progress to be made.

I was watching an early 2000s movie recently and they were talking about gay men and someone said something along the lines of, “It’s the year 2000, the new millennium, gay is OK.”

It’s been sticking with me recently, as I find it odd that it’s still discussed that way today. People say, “It’s 2024, get with the times,” yet the “times” go back decades.

We talk like it’s another taboo topic, when it’s so far emerged into our society that it should be normal dialogue. Well, maybe not totally normal, since talking to strangers about your love life and identity in a similar fashion one might talk about the weather is quite uncommon.

But, still, if someone feels open to having those discussions, it’s just two people talking, however they might identify or whatever they might choose to discuss.

I’ve always been frustrated with people treating members of the LGBTQ community differently, because, if they didn’t share that information, people wouldn’t know the difference. When you find out someone you care about is gay or trans or whatever it might be, how do you just stop caring for them like they’re nothing?

I know the biblical stance and argument on the situation, but people are people, and love thy neighbor as thyself.

Many people in my life have shared their sexualities and identities with me when they were beginning to come out, scared of what the world might think, and I’m honored by it, knowing that I’m someone they can talk to, trust, and just be themselves with, not having to hide.

Fighting against the discrimination of the LGBTQ community is so vital, as it is for any kind of discrimination. We’re all people, and I cannot stress that enough. We all have feelings and thoughts, and no one person is more significant than another.

Be an ally. LGBTQ allies are some of the most effective and powerful voices.

Be a teacher. Teach the meanings of each term and spell it out. LGBTQ is a common acronym throwing words together, but each letter stands for something, and it’s important to recognize them individually: lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders, queers, and the plus includes more, including but not limited to asexual, pansexual, intersexual, etc.

Teach your children to be respectful so they don’t grow up in a generation that uses terms one might use to identify themselves in derogatory ways.

Recognize pronouns. Think of it as a nickname if you have to. If you have a nickname that you don’t like, you would ask people not to use it and to call you something else instead. It’s that simple.

I’ve heard a lot of confusion about pronouns, but just know that it’s not always something you learn in a day, and that’s OK.

Identity is so much more than gender and sexuality, too. It’s who you are as a whole. Maybe you identify with religion, horoscopes, your nationality, your job, or maybe a skill you have, or a physical characteristic. It’s who you are, and who’s to tell you you’re wrong about the way you feel or the person you are.

Let people identify themselves however they see fit.

Being an ally is being a friend, and it’s being a teacher. It’s being a voice working to be heard. It’s being inclusive, and it can make a difference.

Torianna Marasco can be reached at 989-358-5686 or tmarasco@TheAlpenaNews.com.