Every year, with mixed emotions, I'm so excited to see the world light up with rainbows. Big and small brands alike begin to share their latest Pride Month collections, change their logos to feature rainbow colors, and shower the LGBTQ+ community with messages of "love is love". I am always conflicted to see the performance begin, as many companies do not provide this same support throughout the remainder of the year. In addition, some brands create partnerships that don't financially benefit the LGBTQ+ community. It often makes me wonder if these are displays of allyship, or mere attempts to capitalize on queer joy.
As a queer-owned company, there can be a lot of pressure to truly dig in and highlight the real spirit of Pride Month. This beautiful celebration is not just about rainbows and sunshine, it's also about highlighting the challenges that the LGBTQ+ community still faces today. In fact, Pride Month began as an act of resistance and a demand for change. The reality is that Pride Month started as a riot, and trans women bravely threw the first bricks. During this month, we honor the history of the LGBTQ+ rights movement, a fight for justice that was led by trans women of color.
Today, the struggle for the LGBTQ+ community to be heard, recognized, and honored continues. The ACLU is currently tracking 516 anti-LGBTQ+ bills in the US. These bills include curriculum censorship, school facilities bans, school sports bans, forced outings in schools, and so much more. Such bills drastically impact the quality of life for LGBTQ+ individuals, especially for individuals that identify as trans and non-binary. In modern times, it's so incredibly important to continue to amplify the voices of the most vulnerable in the LGBTQ+ community. After all, being LGBTQ+ is not just about who we love, but how we present ourselves in the world.
To learn more about anti-LGBTQ+ bills that could be impacting your state, visit the ACLU legislative tracker.