Pride. It’s incredible how a 5-lettered word can bring to the hearts of one, so many centuries of struggle to find acceptance in society. A word that resonates in the hearts of billions as they take pride in being who they are. A movement that celebrates decades of Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Riviera, Harvey Milk, and their likes who fought for their rights and identity to be recognized and respected.
Pride Month is a month of celebration and recognition of the LGBTQIA+ Community. A month dedicated to the LGBTQIA+ Activists who have laid down and sacrificed their lives for their community. Today, we celebrate the young voices who identify themselves as a part of this diverse and accepting community, as we support and respect them in their struggle that still goes on.
Taking this opportunity, we opened up our platform to these voices that had so much to say yet so less people to hear. We share with you the stories, the identities and the struggles of some members of the LGBTQIA+ community whom we have interviewed.
What does Pride Month mean to you?
Sage identifies as a genderfluid pansexual person for whom Pride month is a war, a war for basic rights. They said, “Pride is a celebration now only because black transwomen were brave enough to fight”. To him, Pride Month is the celebration of revolt, a revolution, a small win in a huge fight.
“Pride Month for me is a riot against queerphobia and bigotry. It’s a month dedicated for queer liberation, a celebration of us and our queer identities”, exclaimed 18-year-old Sirius who takes pride in identifying as a boyflux and bisexual.
When and how did you realize your sexuality and/or gender identity?
16-year-old Nayonika, who identifies as a pansexual, doesn’t believe in the existence of gender. Xe believes that gender is a social construct because one can present themselves and identify as anything without sticking to the boxes.
Xe said, “Probably at 13-14, I had a crush on a girl. Growing up in a heteronormative society, I didn’t know a lot outside ‘straight’ and normal’. When I did realize I ‘like’ liked her (unfortunately she was straight), the way I liked my male crushes, I fell into the rabbit hole of what is this LGBTQIA+ community. As I delved more and more into this wonderful world of people who looked and felt like I did, I embarked on an entirely new journey of self-discovery.”
What is one of your most favorite things about the LGBTIA+ Community?
A 16-year-old student who identifies as a heteroromantic grey-sexual (spectrum of asexuality) said, “My favorite thing about the community is that people are extremely accepting and loving of each other. They try to view everyone in the lens of human, in spite of societal discrimination.” He added, “As the community itself has faced a lot of discrimination, it can empathize with other minorities.”
Lia/Fangs is a high-school student aged 17, who initially started off as a bisexual male but then settled on pansexual. They feel that their favorite thing is the amount of unity within the community. The way the LGBTQIA+ community fights against anything wrong together without the fear of ‘getting cancelled’ makes them proud. Xe believes that the community means more than the consequences of something as minor as getting hurt.
Who is your biggest LGBTQIA+ Role Model or Inspiration?
Callum Bear a trans-activist who’s also a video creator, is a role model for 17-year-old Devin who identifies himself as an aroace transgender.
Anushka who identifies as a female bisexual sees Halsey, Holland and Eugene Lee Yang as her inspiration. While Halsey is famous singer who identifies as a bisexual woman, Eugene Lee Yang is a gay American Filmmaker.
How can someone be a good Ally to the LGBTQIA+ Community?
Amrita, a 17-year-old high schooler believes that one can be a good ally by treating the people of the community no differently. She adds, “People do not talk enough about the importance of ‘normalizing’. Be it an LGBTQ couple, marriage or person, they shouldn’t be made to feel any different than a cishet couple or person”.
“One can be an ally by simply treating us with the respect that they would for any other heterosexual friend of theirs”, says Ru, a bisexual cisfemale student aspiring for Medicals. Additionally, using one’s pronouns correctly and helping promote awareness about the community are other ways to show solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ Community. She adds, “If we confide in them with our sexuality and are not out to others, they must keep it a secret”.
What do you think is the biggest challenge the LGBTQIA+ Community faces today?
Praggya, a Queer female aged 17 says, “The biggest challenge is the misconceptions people have about the community in general and how it’s supposed to be a “trend” or “fashion” for the Gen Z”. She believes that this invalidates the struggles and identity of people who actually are a part of it.
In Dhwani’s voice, the biggest challenge faced by the community is Lack of rights when it comes to trans people and no recognition of Non-Binary People in the country. As a 17-year-old queer bisexual they add, “Lack of awareness about the DBA Queer People and Disabled Queer People add to the challenge”.
A million young voices from across the world with hearts full of pride for their identity. We celebrate the young and the old who’ve struggled to find acceptance, come to terms with their sexuality and joined this long struggle for rights they’ve been denied. From the Stonewall Riots to the fight against Section 377, the LGBTQIA+ Community has come a long way, but there’s so much more to do.
Happy Pride Month to everyone!
