The month of JUNE is PRIDE month. There is much to stand united for and continue to fight for, but there is also much to celebrate! Boston-area and places all around the world have been showing and sharing their pride all month long, with events from the understated to the extravagant taking the social stage.
In the Boston area, Lamplighter Brewing Company just hosted a wildly fun PRIDE TRIVIA evening. Check out their website for upcoming events lamplighterbrewing.com ).
On June 23, Boston by Foot teams up with The History Project to take you on a 1-1/2-hour walking tour that explores local, LGBTQ history. To sign up, visit https://bostonbyfoot.org/tours/bostons-lgbtq-past.
June 25 and 26 will be a spectacular 2-day “Disney PRIDE” concert at Symphony Hall, featuring the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus and nearly 4 dozen songs accompanied by a 25-piece orchestra. Get your tickets at bgmc.org.
Equality means having equal citizenship with equal opportunities.
CIVIL RIGHTS is not to be taken for granted. What are civil rights? The Britannica dictionary definition is “Civil rights guarantee equal social opportunities and equal protection under the law, regardless of race, religion, or other personal characteristics.” Personal characteristics include sex and gender, ie LGBTQ).
Civil rights grant equal citizenship to all members of society and are essential to democracy, and civil rights laws attempt to guarantee these freedoms, like the right to vote, the right to public education, the right to a fair trial, even the right to use public facilities. The list is long but the gap is wide when the enforcement of civil rights becomes inadequate and displays of discrimination increase.
People naturally rise up to take a stand against discrimination. Who wants to be disregarded, unheard, unseen, left out of community? The battles are tough but it is important to acknowledge and celebrate the roads paved in earnest, striving to say “I EXIST!” It’s something to be thankful for and to celebrate with PRIDE!
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