Happy Pride Month from Social Impact Movement!
The health, well-being, safety, and inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community are fundamental to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Take action and celebrate pride.
Social Impact Movement proudly celebrates Pride Month! The health, well-being, safety, and inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community are fundamental to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are grounded in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: The preamble states that the “recognition of the inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice, and peace in the world.”
Celebrated annually in June, Pride Month commemorates the Stonewall Uprising, which began on June 28, 1969, when the police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club in New York City. For six days in front of Stonewall Inn, LGBTQ+ civil rights activists, such as Marsha P. Johnson, protested the discrimination and violence against - and policing of - LGBTQ+ people. Although there was a lot of resistance against state-sanctioned violence and discrimination toward the LGBTQ+ community before Stonewall, this event serves as a monumental moment in the LGBTQ+ civil rights movement.
While we celebrate LGBTQ+ pride all year round, June is a special time to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and be extra proud of living authentically. However, we cannot ignore the continuous attacks against LGBTQ+ people happening worldwide and in numerous U.S. states, including ours, and the fact that LGBTQ+ people of color are disproportionately affected by violence and discrimination. The health, well-being, and lives of LGBTQ+ people are at risk every day due to anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, which influences how people treat each other in the workplace, school, home, and in all aspects of society. On March 28, Governor DeSantis signed HB 1557, the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which prohibits public school teachers from teaching kindergarten through third-grade students about gender identity or sexual orientation. This legislation's consequences are far-reaching and impede us from ensuring safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth.
Pride represents resilience. In the spirit of Pride, let’s take action to protect and celebrate our LGBTQ+ community!
Register to vote. It is critical for pro-equality voters to elect candidates who support the rights and civil liberties of LGBTQ+ people. In Florida, the voter registration deadline for the 2022 Primary Election is July 25th. The Primary Election is important because voters elect the people they believe should be candidates for their political parties in the General Election on November 8th. You can register to vote here, and if you are a Miami-Dade County resident, you can sign up to vote by mail here. Click here for important election dates.
Get involved with LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations. The University of Miami Student Affairs LGBTQ+ Student Center compiled a list of local and national LGBTQIA+ organizations with which you can get involved.
Celebrate! Community building is essential. Here are some upcoming events in person in Miami (or online):
- June 18: Stonewall Pride Parade & Street Festival, Wilton Manors. Street Fair: 3 p.m.-11 p.m. Twilight Parade: 7 p.m.
- June 23: Online event, Advancing the Human Rights of LGBTQ+ Persons: A Dialogue with Diplomats, hosted by the Elliott School of International Affairs Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, OUT in International Affairs, and the DC Student Consortium on Women, Peace, and Security,12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m. EST
- June 25: Fourth Annual Family Pride Day at the Museum of Discovery and Science, 401 SW Second St., Fort Lauderdale. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
- June 25: Voices from Florida: Celebrating LGBTQ Pride, Miami Beach Regional Library, 227 22nd St., 1-4 p.m.
- June 25: NBV 2nd Annual Pride Fest, Drag Show & Dj Set, Dr. Paul Vogel Community Park, 7920 West Dr., North Bay Village, 6-9 p.m.
- June 26: L, G, B + T: A Pride Month Fundraiser for SAVE/LGBT, the Sandbox, 2341 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
- June 26: Pridelines Pop-Up Carnival Event (Benefitting LGBTQ+ youth services and Pridelines Scholarship Program), Pridelines Center, 6360 NE 4th Ct, 1-7 p.m.
- June 29: Online event, LGBTQ+ Inclusion in the Gender, Peace and Security Agenda Policy Brief Launch Event hosted by the DC Student Consortium on Women, Peace, and Security, 12 p.m-1 p.m. EST
- June 30: Online event, All Things Pride: A Conversation with LGBTQ+ Youth Leaders, hosted by the Human Rights Campaign, 2 p.m. EST