What Pride Month Means in the Age of Trump

We're halfway through Pride Month in America, and it's time to take our temperature or run the risk of burning out. The current administration has recognized June as National Ocean Month, National Carribean-American Heritage Month, National African-American Music Appreciation Music Month, and a number of other 30-day recognition, but has failed to use their stature to officially recognize Pride Month.

While the ocean and its cleanliness are important, and we love our Carribean-American brothers and sisters, and we gay men would be nothing without Beyoncé in our lives, we now find ourselves on the calling end of Trump's dog whistle. Side note: I have a hard time believing that President Trump will ever devote a Tweet storm to any of these topics, but I digress...

This is a shout-out to the evangelical base who find themselves unable to challenge the Obergefell v. Hodges decision and undo marriage equality in every state. It's also a special treat for the self-proclaimed “anti-social justice warrior” types who frequent 4chan and Reddit for the sole purpose of making others as miserable as themselves. These trolls likewise think of Pride month and can only conjure up images of extravagant parades and rainbow-colored Jello shots at our favorite watering holes. The limit of their ability to think critically is proving harmful to our history and our ability to acknowledge it.

What we have is an administration who is willing to reject a hard-fought and common sense acknowledgment of a people group who have struggled to be recognized as human beings with equal rights and privileges in America. You know, the antithesis of what Trump campaigned on.

It's especially ironic that the Supreme Court ruled in favor of discriminatory, anti-LGBT business practices (Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission) during this month-long celebration of progress and remembrance of past struggles. What's clear is that the Trump administration is attempting to retain the base that they still have at the expense of our national integrity and often sordid history. Maintaining a 41 percent approval rating with such vile rhetoric should be much harder to do, but apparently, it's as easy as publicly ignoring history or blatantly creating their own version of it, something that this administration is very familiar with. (See also: the Bowling Green Massacre and the role of Canada during the war of 1812.)

I would encourage those with a heart for equality to devote a portion of the remaining month to some form of activism related to LGBTQ rights. Phone bank or knock doors for candidates that share your values and are willing to listen to the concerns of the community. Volunteer your time at local organizations that serve young people made homeless by family rejection, or a health clinic that seeks to make our community healthy and vibrant. Just. Do. Something.

So celebrate on, my friends. But do so with the fiery passion of a Marsha P. Johnson, the dogged determination of a Harvey Milk, and the sheer bravery of those who paved the way for us to be here, out loud and proud, expressing our love without worrying about the law.