Pride Month is in full swing. It is a time for the world’s LGBTQ+ communities and their allies to come together to celebrate the many battles they have won to be accepted for who they are and to be treated equally under the law.
But pride month is also a time to reflect upon, a time to take stock of the work still to be done in furtherance of equality. It was only a mere, few days ago, that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that gay and trans people cannot be discriminated against at work. And, as a recent Business Insider article pointed out:
- Homosexuality is still illegal in 35% of UN member states;
- Fewer than 30 countries around the world recognize same-sex marriage;
- 68 countries still criminalize homosexuality and in dozens of countries, same-sex acts carry the death penalty; and
- Just 19 countries allow transgender people to serve openly in the Armed Forces.
So, as we continue to grapple with the death and economic devastation of COVID-19; as the Anti-racism movement surges, we must also take action – at the ballot box, on our school boards, in our neighborhoods and places of worship, workplaces, and in our homes – to stand up for the dignity and freedom of the LGBTQ+ community. For in standing up for them, we stand up for the dignity of all people. And we ensure a future where all our children inherit a world in which humanity and empathy trump hate.
Listen to my conversation on parenting transgender children with one of my heroes, Mimi Lemay, International Advocate for Transgender Youth and author of “What we will become: A Mother, a Son, and a Journey of Transformation.
Here are other resources for you and children as we continue to celebrate Pride Month.
Books:
- “Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag” by Rob Sanders and Steven Salerno
- “Red: A Crayon’s Story,” by Michael Hall .
- “Lovely,” by Jess Hong
- “Meet My Family! Animal Babies and Their Families,” by Laura Purdie Salas and Stephanie Fizer Coleman
- “Introducing Teddy,” by Jessica Walton and Dougal MacPherson
- “Peanut Goes for the Gold,” by Jonathan van Ness and Gillian Reid
- “It Feels Good to Be Yourself: A Book About Gender Identity,” by Theresa Thorn and Noah Grigni
- “When Aidan Became a Brother,” by Kyle Lukoff and Kaylani Juanita
- “BunnyBear,” by Andrea J. Loney and Carmen Saldaña
- “Harriet Gets Carried Away,” by Jessie Sima
Organizations/Websites:
https://pflag.org/
https://www.hrc.org