Pride Month feels different this year.
If you know history, then you know that Pride dates back to Greenwich Village in 1969, when police raided the Stonewall Inn on June 28 and sadly harassed and abused those gathered there. Thirteen people were arrested that night, many for being in violation of a state law that banned any clothing that wasn’t “gender-appropriate” in the eyes of the law.
You might also remember that seven years ago, our community suffered a horrific tragedy as 49 lives were lost, 53 people were wounded, and thousands were forever changed at the Pulse nightclub – all because one person determined that their lives were not “appropriate.” Many of those young lives lost too early were from Osceola County and overwhelmingly People of Color, and I remember how we came together as a community to grieve. We promised that because of that tragedy we would commit ourselves to building a safer Central Florida. We gathered at church services and community memorials, and we planted signs in our yards that said “hate has no home here.” We promised to do better.
Now, here we are in 2023, and a whole new wave of laws are seeking to police what clothing is “appropriate” in public spaces, what is “appropriate” for people to do with their own bodies, and even whether it’s “appropriate” for our LGBTQ+ neighbors to have access to medical care.
And that is why pride feels different this year.
Our vision at Hope Partnership is for everyone in our community to have a safe place to call home, and the current environment has many of our neighbors questioning whether they are indeed safe here. I’m not sure what the intention of the last few amendments that were passed in the Florida Senate were — but it’s not to keep anyone safe — no matter how many times someone tries to tell me otherwise. The prejudice behind these laws is the exact same prejudice that drives parents to banish LGBTQ+ children from their homes, makes landlords believe they have the right to refuse housing to LGBTQ+ renters, and enables employers to pass on hiring LGBTQ+ applicants. And all of this leads to more of our neighbors experiencing homelessness and poverty.
Everyone – every single person – deserves a safe place to call home — no matter what. Everyone. Every single day. May we all be inspired by the resilience and light of our LGBTQ+ neighbors, friends, and family to transform our communities to make room for everyone.
