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Happy LGBT+ Pride Month, World!


Lissa

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Hey, AVEN friends,

I just wanted to wish everyone a happy LGBT Pride Month, as well as share a little history about it and promote my own selfish agenda (It includes a ton of cake). I'm aware of the arguments over whether aces and aros should be considered part of the LGBT+ Community (Spoiler: I think they should be), but in my opinion, it's just as important to anyone on the asexual or aromantic spectrum as someone who is transgender, gay, or of any other gender/sexual orientation.

It's a pretty depressing, ugly bit of history, and my summary is fairly long, so it's in the spoiler.

Spoiler

After World War II, American politicians - and much of the American public - wanted to restore the pre-war social order and "hold off the forces of change." Much of this was spurred on by the wave of anti-communism sweeping throughout the country, as well as Senator Joseph McCarthy. Lists were made of suspected and known Communists, as well as homosexuals, who were believed susceptible to blackmail as well as generally subversive. State governments quickly followed suite; bars catering to the LGBT community were shut down, their patrons' life stories published in newspapers. Cities would perform "sweeps" to rid themselves of gay people. As a result, the LGBT community - specifically, gay Americans - faced a legal system and culture diametrically opposed to them. In response to this frightening trend, activist groups formed, but often had to operate under some sort of cover to gain any kind of success. However, pockets of undisturbed people remained.

Greenwich Village in Manhattan was such a place, where a large pocket of transgender and homosexual people lived; in addition, it was the site of the Stonewall Inn, which at the time was owned by the New York Mafia. Its bar was a popular watering hole; the owners didn't particularly care who their patrons chatted up or identified as, as along as they paid for their drinks.

At 1:20 a.m., June 28, 1969, this all changed. Police staged a raid on the bar, ostensibly for bootleg alcohol, with the Public Morals Squad outside for backup. All patrons were required to hand over ID; many were refused, terrified of being outed of their sexuality, identified gender, or both. Several patrons were treated roughly, with a few lesbians felt up by the police, and many arrested; most refused to leave even after they were released, forming a crowd right outside the Stonewall Inn.

The crowd, however, only turned into a mob after two people were hit and literally thrown into a police wagon. Many of them had received horrible treatment for years for their identities, and had, as Michael Rayder put it so eloquently, "enough of their shit.... we weren't going away. And we didn't."

A forty-five minute onslaught ensued, in which police were trapped in the building as it had burning garbage, cans, and even a parking post hurtled at it. By the time it ended, almost no one was most dazed then the people themselves, hardly able to believe what had just transpired. More riots would erupt the next evening, and second day later, with all-out street brawls ensuing between police and previous participants, newcomers, provocateurs, and even tourists.

By the time the riots finally ended, people had been arrest, hospitalized, and their lives ripped apart. But it had brought the issue to the forefront of the world, and showed that no one was going away any time soon.

As a result, two separate activist organizations were formed in New York within six months of the riots, with the Gay Liberation Front hot on its heels. The very next year, on June 28, 1970, the first anniversary of the riots would take place with Christopher Street Liberation Day. Within two years, every major city in America had a gay rights organization, as well as plenty in Australia, Western Europe, and Canada. The fight for LGBT+ rights would never be the same again. Previously, it had been sought by organizations such as the Mattachine Society purely to prove gay men and other LGBT members were the same as everyone else, and favored assimilation. Now, it was considered the only way was to out, loud and proud of who you are. The riots irrevocably changed how the LGBT+ community considered the fight for their rights and how they functioned in society.

The Stonewall Riots are widely considered the most important event leading to the modern fight for LGBT rights in the United States, and I've never heard of them being taught in a classroom. I certainly wasn't.

It's rather amazing to think how far we've come since then, to be honest. From Stonewall to the LGBT Community Center to gay marriage's legalization, to today, when we have an actual, widely celebrated (#1 on Twitter trending last I checked on June 1, 2018), LGBT+ Pride Month. How damn cool is that? 😀

To every LGBT+ activist, every single person on this forum, anyone who's ever done anything to help us out, you are all my heroes, and I give you the biggest cake I can find:

new-of-the-biggest-cake-the-biggest-wedd

 

From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much.

And to all of us, here's my own contribution to #PrideMonth:

 

Normal is freaking overrated. You, now - that's fabulous.

A rainbow is the most beautiful thing on the planet except for you in all your glory, and anyone who tells you otherwise is a liar.

We're all a little mad. Own it. You won't be sorry, at the end of the day.

If things can't possibly get worse, it means they must get better, if not always how you expect.

When something goes wrong, never be ashamed to cry; it's cathartic, an excellent excuse to too much chocolate, and may actually help you feel better.

*Insert your favorite Seuss quote ever, genius he is* Mine: “You are you. Now, isn’t that pleasant?”

Be happy. No, seriously. People act like this is so hard, not to mention worthless. Be. Happy. Fullstop.

And above all, remember that you are loved, forever and always.

 

Last, for anyone who does or has ever felt lost, unsure, ever: Take a slice (Or two) and a bear hug.

Chocolate-nuts-2.jpg

 

P.S. Feel free to reply to this thread for your own Pride Month Contributions! (Stuck this in Philosophy, Politics, and Science mainly for the history bits and Pride Month; I honestly wasn't quite sure where to stick this post, as it kept evolving)

You can read more about the Stonewall Riots in detail here and here.

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Happy LGBT Pride Month from Canada! \(^o^)/ 🏳️‍🌈 Time for some cake! 🍰

 

Sadly, I have to wait till next month before my city throws our annual Pride Parade & Festival, but that's okay. I can be patient! 😣

 

I always look forward to the annual parade and festival in my city. It's not as huge as it is in bigger cities, but it's been growing for over twenty years now. I took my parents to their very first one last year, and it was awesome. I honestly never thought that that day would ever come, but it did. I plan on taking them again this year. 😀

 

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Aroace_bookworm
4 hours ago, Dani-Chan said:

Happy LGBT Pride Month from Canada! \(^o^)/

Same! 

Friends and I spent lunch hour talking about LGBT and pride. One friend brought a rainbow umbrella and sunglasses! Happy pride month everyone!!!!!!!!!

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Happy Pride Month from the US!!! 🏳️‍🌈 My friends are going to a pride event in our town but I'll be on vacation sadly. and even if I wasnt, my parents aren't exactly open to me going to a pride event so I might go to one at my university in the fall if I can find someone to go with me. I've never been to a pride event but they look fun. 

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:blink: That's a big cake....

 

Happy pride! Stonewall was actually brought up in my US history course, and I discussed Stonewall in one of my essays for the AP exam!

I'm excited, I'm going to my first pride parade in a few weeks. Last night I caved and bought a bunch of ace pride merch.

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On 6/2/2018 at 3:39 PM, Karoushi said:

Happy Pride Month from the US!!! 🏳️‍🌈 My friends are going to a pride event in our town but I'll be on vacation sadly. and even if I wasnt, my parents aren't exactly open to me going to a pride event so I might go to one at my university in the fall if I can find someone to go with me. I've never been to a pride event but they look fun. 

They ARE a lot of fun! :D 

 

I was VERY nervous and kind of scared when I went to my first one where I live (I'm not at all fond of crowds), but it was definitely worth it. I've gone most years since. 

 

Despite my strong dislike of crowds, I have gone by myself many times. I like how you can come as you are, dress up real crazy like, go in cosplay, you name it. Anything goes, and it's super fun! 

 

I hope you get to go to a pride event sometime soon. I think that you'll enjoy it. ;) 

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Hello, all!

Slightly late response, but I wanted to wish everyone who had replied another happy Pride Month, and to wish y'all luck at your parades. And possibly some more cake. :cake::cake::cake::cake:

@BionicPiLiterally, it was the biggest cake I could find; and purple, no less. The Internet rocks sometimes.😁

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
princessem1020

Happy pride month! Wish I could make it to my local pride parade, but I don't want to risk my anti-queer parents finding out!

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Happy Pride Month  @princessem1020! I'm sorry you're stuck with family like that, though. Hope things get better for you in the future! Have some cake:

900_883309iGMC_rainbow-cake-in-honor-of-

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