When I think of June, I think of Pride Month and why we celebrate it.
As I look back on the history of the LGBTQ+ movement, I remember reading about those who made this movement possible — pioneers like Marsha P. Johnson and her “pay it no mind” response to questions about gender. Back in the day of the Stonewall riots in 1969, you didn’t hear the term transgender used much because of the lack of acceptance. Marsha (Pay-it-no-mind) Johnson made it a point to advocate for those in the LGBTQ+ community who yearned for equality.
As a result, she co-founded the S.T.A.R.(Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries) along with Sylvia Rivera, another strong advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. Together, they helped provide a safe environment for transgender adolescents who needed a warm place to stay.
I found it interesting that Johnson fought for transgender visibility. She took to the streets proudly with no shame or regret. She claimed those rights with the attitude of “No pride for some of us without liberation for all of us.”
Today, liberation is on the move. Transgender people are changing the hateful narratives and transphobia, which show up in a range of behaviors, putting in jeopardy the independence and freedom of transgender people to live openly and comfortably in society.
This is why advocacy for our LGBTQ+ community is essential. Vincent Slatt, director of archiving, put together a photo gallery showing the history of the LGBTQ+ community in Washington, D.C., called the Rainbow History Project. I met Slatt this year and was so happy to see this historic project. It reminds me of how far we have come in the LGBTQ+ community. With so many great photos, I didn’t know where to start. One photo that stood out to me was of former mayor of Washington, D.C., Marion Barry. Slatt showed me the photo facing the statue that carries Barry’s image.
Another photo of this former mayor, taken in 1982, shows his support for pride and LGBTQ+ rights. I was delighted by this photo of Barry and realized his importance to our LGBTQ+ community. If there was ever a friend and supporter of our fight for equality, he was there. Thank you, Vincent, for the great LGBTQ+ history lessons. I will never forget it.
