Welcome, June! The month of Juno, goddess of childbirth and fertility. The month that has Midsummer in the Northern hemisphere and Midwinter in the Southern hemisphere. But it is also the month that carries all the colours of the rainbow with it – the Pride Month! Each year, it seems like in every corner, there are some LGBTQ people, and like boom! the social media is suddenly filled with companies changing their logos to rainbow coloured in apparent support of the Pride movement and LGBTQ people.
And at the same time, when the clock strikes midnight on the last night of May, we say welcome to all those passive-aggressive, negative comments about everything turning gay all of a sudden, and that not everything should be about what people do in their bedrooms. Each year, it happens if by magic. A bit of bibbity-bobbity-boo! and there you are, armies of ruffled straight people appear to demand that they, too, have the right to celebrate straight pride.
Have you already met the people “whose best friends are gays, and they have personally nothing against gays, Pride is also ok, but…“
It is, actually, that very “but…” why we still, in 2024, need Pride all around the world. World may have taken steps into right direction, but like anything, it is not ready. But, have we moved past the core, the idea of pride and turned it into a carnival, where human rights are secondary to remembering if someone is they/them, he/him, she/her, or maybe something completely else in fear of hurting their feelings?
But… Why?
Back in 1969, June 28th, to be precise, the police in New York stormed the Stonewall Inn, a place where the LGBT community usually went to party. This wasn’t, by far, the first time these raids happened, but it was a tipping point, and the people started to demonstrate. The first demonstration was led by a bisexual lady, and the transpeople stood with her. But as these demonstrations grew year after year, they became known as pride demonstrations, and hence, we are in our current situation.
In our current situation, we face adversity wherever we live; these threats may come in forms like religious fanatics promoting hatred instead of love, politicians trying to enforce their phobia infused agendas, or mentally unstable maniacs who have access to legal or illegal guns, or even parents who throw their own children out in the cold because they cannot accept their children as the human beings they are.
But… that’s just it! Pride movement is supposed to be about acceptance, about getting equal rights to everyone, and not to promote the transpeople’s rights to cancel women just because they themselves can not give birth. Going overboard with demands is something that will hurt the whole Pride movement and shift the focus away from that what is important!
When you think that the Pride movement started in 1969, it is not that long ago. In 2024, just two years ago, the whole movement turned only 55 years old, and within those 55 years, the LGBTIQ+ movement has taken steps forward and has been pushed backwards, like the waves of the sea. In the USA, for instance, the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy was abolished in the early 2000s, but in the state of Florida, the bigoted politicians introduced the Don’t Say Gay Act in 2022 forces the rights of the LGBTIQ+ people back towards the stone age.
What has been done in 2025? If anything…
Equal marriage was recognised in Liechtenstein, Thailand, and Lithuania. Also, the EU court rules that same sex marriages must be recognised across the bloc.
Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Argentina took steps forward in trans-people’s rights, acknowledging their self-determination for the preferred gender.
These are just a few positive examples of the steps taken to grant human rights for LGBTQ people. But is it all good?
No. Sadly, no.
President Trump enacted multiple laws, such as blocking gender-affirming care from trans people, making gender only male and female, just to name a few. Hungary made all LGBT-events illegal. The UK declared that only sex assigned at birth is valid.
There were also rulings, like the Puerto Rican law banning gender-affirming care for anyone under 21, that sparked controversy. But when you think rulings like this… is it really as bad as it sounds? This allows self-seeking youngsters time to mull over a life-changing decisions, and prevents fame-crazed parents to monetise on their children. What do you think?
Is 2026 promising to be better?
This far, the recorded events for LGBT rights seem to be optimistic; EU is banning conversion therapy, Ukraine, even admist the war, has recognised same-sex marriages, and the Netherlands have elected an openly gay man as their Prime Minister. But at the same time, the PSD (Portuguese Social Democrat party) is moving to remove trans ID’s and gender change. Bold move from a leftist party.
We still have plenty of 2026 left, and can only hope for a better future, and fear for the worst.
So yes, welcome to the much needed Pride Month, everyone.
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