These colours Do run

Today I was walking holding the hand of a person who, years ago, I would have to pretend was nothing more than my friend.

We strolled hand in hand in our radical love. I caught sight of a flag someone had hung in their yard.

With its rainbow stripes washed soft in the sun. I smiled to myself and thought how lucky we are that these colours run.

Not long ago our parade was a riot.

Long before queer hands sewed the first rainbow flag.

We had found our pride and would no longer deny it.

Look at the homes our colours have made!

Watch our flag fly proudly as its colours boldly fade!

-1969-

A Police raid of the Stonewall Inn in New York City in the early hours of June 28. Leads to a four days of struggle between police and LGBTQ people. Transgender people, LGBTQ people of colour, and youth are a major part of these “riots” that mark the birth of the modern LGBTQ movement.

-1973-

The First-ever PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) is held 20 people are in attendance.

-1978-

Gilbert Baker first created the Rainbow Flag with a collective in. He refused to trademark it, seeing it as a symbol that was for the LGBT community.

-2003-

The U.S. Supreme Court overturns sodomy laws, proclaiming rights to privacy and decriminalizing “homosexual” behaviour.

-2005-

The Parliament of Canada, on July 20, 2005, enacted the Civil Marriage Act,1 which legalizes same-sex marriage. Canada thus became the fourth country to take that step.

-2015-

The U.S. Supreme Court makes same-sex marriages legal in all 50 states.

There is something important about history. It connects us to the people that come before us. It makes us feel more human and connected when we have ties to the people who came before us. So much of our personal history is passed down to us by our family and elders in our communities.

As a gay person, it is unlikely most of us were born into gay families. An entire generation lost to the AIDS epidemic. So much of our written history has been destroyed and hidden for so long. It can make you feel as though your existence is little more than a fad or a blip in history.

It is important that we learn our history and that we pass it on. We have always been here, we have come so far. From the beginning of time and in nearly every civilization we have existed in one form or another despite the best efforts to be removed we are a natural part of the human race. There is still so much work to do. With love and compassion, I hope we will continue moving forward and growing as a community to lift and support each other.

Our struggle isn’t over there is are still many parts of the world where the act of hanging a rainbow flag would have unimaginable consequences. We need to make sure we fight for the rights of the LGBTQ community in faraway communities.

Our struggle continues as we fight for the rights of our Trans siblings whose rights are threatened and infringed upon every day. Just as Trans Women of Colour were there to raise their fists and throw the first brick at stonewall we must be there now to demand their safety.

This is our history. We are allowed to grasp and hold it in our hands to claim it as our own. This is where we came from these are the leaders that came before us. We have so much to be proud of.

No love 'til we're Equal.

Black Lives Matter.

Trans Rights are Human rights.

Thank you all for taking the time to read this piece. It is extremely meaningful to me as I take time this Pride month to reflect on my own identity and connection to my community. I love you all and wish you a Happy Pride.

-Mx.Cohen