The month of June is a time to celebrate our LGBTQIA+ community! There are all sorts of parades and special events to showcase all things LGBTQIA+. However you choose to acknowledge the month there is joy and pride in the air, which is beautifully contagious. That said I recognize that PRIDE may mean different things to different people because we come to pride with different experiences and perspectives.
To get a better grasp on this I enlisted the aid of our LBGTQIA+ program staff to hear what they have to say. This is what was shared . . .
Pride is an opportunity to be visible. There are so many of our LGBTQ+ family who are not able to be visible. So, I stand proud so that these folks, who are unable to celebrate Pride, see a reflection of themselves in me. I am proud for them. – Summer Gomez
Pride means being able to outwardly celebrate what I inwardly identify with. I’m a bisexual gender nonconforming femme. Sometimes my behaviors and identities make it clear I’m part of the community and other times I am judged and excluded from the community. Pride allows me to celebrate that I get to dictate whether I’m a part of the community - and that I am! – Deanna Yadollahi
Pride is an annual month celebration, filled with events for the LGBTQ+ community and allies that promote equality. Pride also serves as remembrance for loved ones the community has lost due to discrimination. Pride embodies the LGBTQ+ community's culture, which its beliefs are based on inclusivity and acceptance. – CJ Carreon-Bennett
Pride to me is being able to be confident in my authentic self. It took me a long time to come to terms with being outside of the binary of gender and sexuality that I was conditioned to see as the norm. Living out and proud is me bouncing back from the family and religious community rejection I've experienced. It's the way I give back to myself and my chosen community. – Levi Nunez
Pride to me means embracing, loving, and being self-confident. Learning to love oneself, walking with your head up high, honoring those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom to be “who we are “. I am honored to be part of this beautiful community that spreads strength, equality, peace, love and freedom! Happy Pride! 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ - Rafael Lopez
Pride to me means love, acceptance and freedom! There is nothing like being your true self and be expressive of one's authentic colors. Pride to me is a reminder and a symbol of the struggles and advances of the LGBT+ community. Pride to me means we are one whole, and we are all in this together! #Love always wins! 🌈 – Fabiola Carranza
Many thanks to our LGBTQIA+ staff for sharing their views on Pride. Each of you is a source of pride for PLC. Your pride helps to model and empower pride in the LGBTQIA+ youth that we serve.
Whatever pride means to you, we celebrate you and we honor the month of June when all can be proud.
As we celebrate Pride month in June, we’re thrilled to present a snapshot of some of our LGBTQ+ clients’ experience at Penny Lane. The following infographic is derived from a survey where clients who received LGBTQ+ services were asked a series of questions regarding their satisfaction with Penny Lane and the staff. As you can see from some of the highlights of the survey, there were many positive responses. Happy Pride!
