Every year June 1st marks the beginning of Pride Month, a time where the LGBTQ+ community celebrates our history and who we are. It’s my favorite time of year because I get to be with my community members in dedicated spaces that are made for us and by us. But while we are celebrating, we also must always remember that the first pride started as a riot and a fight for LGBTQ+ people to exist. A fight that still goes on today.
In 2022, hundreds of legislative attacks on the LGBTQ+ community were introduced in states all across the country; a number of those were right here in Virginia. There were attempts to strip our rights to housing, to participate in sports, and to ban or remove transgender inclusive policies in education. I’m grateful that none of this legislation ended up passing in Virginia, but that is also just the tip of the iceberg. All of these policies and pieces of legislation attempt to chip away more and more at one thing: our right to exist and live our lives to the fullest.
And so we keep fighting. We keep fighting to be able to live in a world that seems hell-bent on trying to tear queer people, especially trans people, down. We continue to challenge those in power who continue to try and strip us of our rights. I am constantly amazed by and proud of the LGBTQ+ community and how hard we fight everyday despite grappling with “leaders'' who would rather shut us down and deny our existence than allow us to live freely as our true selves.
Continuing to show up and fight for our community proves that we cannot be shoved back into the closet or a little box tucked neatly away where we can’t be seen or heard. And it is all thanks to those who have come before us and put themselves at risk to fight for LGBTQ+ people across the world. People like Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Stormé DeLarverie, Harvey Milk, and many many more. It is because of people like them that I am able to be out at work, out to my family, and married to my wife. I am eternally grateful for them.
It is clear as day to me the intersections between LGBTQ+ rights, human rights, and the environmental movement. You can’t fight for one without fighting for the others as well because in the end, we are all fighting for the same thing: a livable future. A future where trans kids can be fully themselves, where queer couples can hold each others hand in public without fear, where we can truly be alive and happy. We don’t just deserve to exist, we deserve to thrive.
We’ve always been here and we don’t need anyone’s permission. We are here, we are queer, and we certainly aren’t going anywhere.
Piece by Hunter Noffsinger; VA Chapter Community Outreach Coordinator and Incredible Human
Image captions:
Picture 1: A Pride flag with “I am HerShee Bar” written on it hangs in the HerShee bar, the oldest lesbian bar on the East Coast, on one of its last days before being closed and demolished by Norfolk City Council. Photo by Sarah Noffsinger.
Picture 2: Community members lay roses on the photos of the victims of the Pulse Nightclub tragedy during a remembrance event in Norfolk. Photo by Sarah Noffsinger.
Picture 3: Hunter Nautical Noffsinger