Happy Pride Month!
Pride is a time to honor and celebrate the dignity, value, and contributions of LGBTQIA+ individuals and communities. For all of us who truly believe in justice for all this must include people who fought for the gains we have made in civil and human rights—visionaries like Bayard Rustin, Angela Davis, James Baldwin, Alice Walker, and Audre Lorde, to name a few. These leaders, who lived their lives of sacrifice so we could be free to live our own, often had to hide their LGBTQIA+ identities, navigating the complex intersections of race, gender, and sexuality.
Celebrating Pride is not just a call to action—it’s a declaration of our commitment to creating a world where no one is forced to hide their identity to be accepted. It’s about recognizing that the fight for justice is inseparable from the fight for equality across all intersections of identity. If we are not ALL free then none of us are free.The current climate of attacking queer communities reflects efforts to silence and marginalize. In our support of and love for members of the LGBTQIA+ (many of whom are part of our own families), we must uplift Black queer voices, challenge discriminatory policies, create inclusive spaces, and stand together in solidarity. By working, shoulder to shoulder we can resist discrimination and build a more just future.
To our LGBTQIA+ family—across Minnesota, the globe, and of course here on the Northside—we see you, we honor you, and we stand with you.
Happy Pride!