June is LGBT Pride Month

-Lin-Manuel Miranda

Since the Stonewall Riots of June 1969, commemorations of the event were celebrated in cities across the United States. The riots began in protest of the arrest and harassment of LGBT people at the Stonewall Inn in New York City. The earliest anniversaries had political messages around changing laws and ending discrimination. More recently, Pride celebrations have been organized to show there is no shame in being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. In 2000, President Bill Clinton declared the first national Gay and Lesbian Pride month.

This year, political issues are again central to Pride month. In Chechnya (a region of the Russian Federation), LGBT people are being targeted for arrest and torture. In Uganda and other countries around the world where homosexuality is punishable by death. The United States, state legislatures in North Carolina, Texas, and other states passed laws restricting transgender people's access to public restrooms.

There are many people who are trying to resist these legal pressures, to find out more check out these resources below:
On Chechnya: https://www.theguardian.com/world/chechnya

Keko, an openly gay rapper from Uganda, talks about being an openly gay public figure in Uganda. https://www.pri.org/stories/2017-05-22/ugandan-rapper-keko-gets-real-about-her-music-her-sobriety-and-her-sexuality

Transgender bathroom bills: http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/07/health/transgender-bathroom-law-facts-myths/

There are many ways to show your pride and support the LGBT community. Stay informed and educated on the issues facing this marginalized community.