June is Gay Pride Month

I work for a company who believes in diversity. For us, “Talent comes in diverse forms and that talent overlooked weakens the whole organization.” I was going over our calendar and I noticed they had June marked as Gay Pride Month. Intrigued I ventured to click on the link to find out more.

It was there that I found out that this affair originated in New York. National Recognition of it, in the United States, began after the Stonewall Riots of June in 1969. The riots brought widespread attention to growing concerns for the equitable treatment of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals.

It was on that Friday evening on June 27, 1969 in New York City that the tactical city police force raided a popular Greenwich Village gay bar, the Stonewall Inn. Now raids were not unusual back then, they were, in fact, being conducted on a regular basis without much resistance. However, that night the street erupted into violent protest as the crowds in the bar fought back. The back lash and several nights of protest that followed have come to be known as Stonewall Riots.

Amazingly, there has been an occurrence of the same nature back in 1966. A group of drag queens, gay street hustlers, and transgender folks fought back against police oppression at a cafeteria in the Tenderloin called the Compton’s Cafeteria, San Francisco, and three years prior to the Stonewall riots. This was the first known collective resistance by queers against institutional oppression.

These Riots marked the beginning of efforts to recognize and end discriminatory and oppressive practices towards gays and lesbians in the society and June 27 is marked as Stonewall Riots Day the world over.

In the Philippines, Gay Pride Month is being upheld by The Progressive Organization of Gays in the Philippines otherwise known as ProGay. This June will mark its twelfth year of recognizing and establishing Gay rights.

In Manchester, a city in England, its City Council has been acclaimed as Britain’s top gay-friendly local authority for the fourth consecutive year. The council was voted the highest-ranking local authority in the latest Corporate Equality Index, compiled by lesbian and gay lobbying organization Stonewall. The participating organizations were questioned about their employment practices, such as having a non-discrimination policy and a lesbian and gay employee network group. The council says it has a “genuine commitment” to ensuring that all employees work in an environment where they are secure and confident regardless of sexual orientation.

In Calcutta India, Gay Pride Month is being observed too. This was a scene from the “Rainbow Pride Walk” which was organized by the Integration Society.
Further research on the internet showed me that lots of countries celebrate Gay Pride Month and more and more governments are opening their eyes and recognizing the gay and lesbian population’s abilities and rights.
Over all, it was completely amazing. I look at my gay, lesbian and transgender friends and workmates now, and I realized that their gender has come a long way of being recognized, of being thought of as a part of society.

This is the rainbow flag, a symbol being raised high in the month of June for awareness, acceptance of the third gender as they are called in the hopes that one day people like them won’t be violated, discriminated against or shunned by people in the society they belong to.
Seemingly, another goal that the month and occasion wish to achieve is to eliminate the fear in every gay, lesbian and transgender heart the fear of admitting to their families and friends, and most of all to themselves their true identities.
I would think that the burden of keeping that kind of secret to oneself and to ones loved ones could be such a burden and certainly an obstacle to realizing ones abilities. For instead of developing his or her abilities he or she would be a lot more occupied in keeping up with the pretense, I think that this is one of the reasons gays and lesbians soon end up hurting themselves or to put it patently, show a lack of respect for themselves.
There was once a school principal in what used to be an all-boys’ catholic school in Baguio City, Philippines who said “we (the school) may not be able to prevent some of our students from realizing they are gay, but we can certainly stop them with what they will do to themselves.” Oh, he recognized there are students in his school who are gays, considering that the Philippines is a very catholic country and badings or gays in Philippine society are objects of ridicule and shame in a family. Even after recognizing that he had gays in his student body though, the rule of complete uniforms which composes of navy blue pants and white polo’s, haircut of two fingers above the ears were firmly implemented. Lipstick and make up were strictly prohibited. The point is, for as long as they were students in that school, they are to be treated equally. The schools aim was to lessen bullying ridiculing of the gay population.
I suppose if there is such a thing as women empowerment, then there could also be gay and lesbian empowerment, that aside from painting themselves beautiful, they should also let out their many talents and abilities.