#most of the critics here are queer. We don't want homophobes in our community

[hill-art02]

This is definitely 100% ragebait, but i hate these kinds of people who only hate HH/HB because they're homophobic and not because it's poorly written.

People like them are no friend of mine. We criticize the show because we want better queer rep, not because it has queer rep.

[happypotato48]

This Is A Gay Asian Rant About BL Comments Made By Some Queer Westerners I See Sometimes.

So you know of those gays (usually white) that made dumb tiktok dancing to list of countries that legalized same sex marriage and list of countries that discriminate against LGBTQIA+ poeple as a way to say something racist. yeah i kinda got the same vibes from some comments regard how asian BL is homophobic just cause they don't live up to queer western standard. look, i'm not saying that some BLs and their creators don't deserve criticism regard how they capitalized/exploited queerness for an easy cash grab.

But people need to understand that Asian countries despite recent progress are still very much culturally conservatives. so when people says that thai bl is homophobic and all the characters looks like bunch of straight guys, which is true for some olders thai BLs i'm not gonna denied that. but after all this time and newer BLs generally being very queer and most of creators being out queer themself and poeple still making these comments, i'm annoyed.

And don't get me start on the actors. you don't know them! why are you making assumption and calling them queerbaiter just cause they acts in bl. like maybe they're straight, maybe they're not but what they're definitely doing is making queer content for you know, queer people here. so when you made halfass comments about their sexuality what do you think that made other queer people who still in the closet feels. and when you add the nationality to that, "these thai bl pair are this and that, this korean actor is so ungrateful for his bl past", etc. when our societies are still very much still in progress regard LGBTQIA+ acceptance. it make us living here feels fucking awful like somehow we're lesser queer than people in the west just cause we don't have citibank at pride or some shit.

And the shittiest in my humbled opinion are comments regard censored chinese bls. people do know like, that the creators making these bls are risking their livelihoods for this. that these shows getting make at all are miracles. yes it sucked that they're censored but they're still very much queer shows making by queer people who want to express thier queerness despite the chinese government being the chinese government. when people dimissing these shows as not belonging in queer media, you're also dimissing their creators and audiences as not belonging in the community.

Look what i want to say is that we're trying our best over here, and maybe our best are not up to your liking. the ways we talk and express our queerness maybe still can be perceived as problematic by western queer standard. but these media are our house and you're the guests. for people aren't shitty we appreciated that you're here engaging and loving our media, this is your home too and you're welcome in it. i can speak for myself that i very much love being here on tumblr and interacting with people from all over the world who love BL. but for people who are being shitty sometimes about asian bl.

YOU'RE THE GUESTS, BEHAVE!

[star-anise]

Everyone's got a take, and I've got a take too, about the current Internet Villain: James Somerton, a gay Youtuber who just got exposed (in the back half of a 4-hour video) as massively plagiarizing the work of LGBTQ+ media critics, historians, and memoirists, and then exposed in another 2-hour video as just making up the wildest nonsense about the topics he demonstrably had access to accurate information on.

He achieved a six-figure income on his work by squeezing money out of his audience with claims...

That only he was creating content that preserved queer history and elevated the voices and experiences of the LGBTQ+ community (a lie)

He was in serious financial distress and would have to go out of business if people didn't give him tons of money (a lie)

That he was going to use some of that cash to make definitely good and not-at-all-plagiarized independent movies, a thing he was definitely skilled and experienced enough to do (a lie), and

That those plagiarism allegations were incorrect,, and frankly,,,, hurtful and homophobic. (a GIANT lie)

Like, here's a visualization of the script of one of his videos, "Society and Queer Horror". The highlighted bits were lifted nearly verbatim from the works of others—the 18 authors identified at the time the exposé was posted—and presented as Somerton's own work.

So here's what drives me absolutely up the wall about this:

If he had just ADMITTED that it was the work of other people, THAT WOULD STILL BE COOL. If he had just said, up front, "We are going on a survey of thoughts and insights people have had about this topic", that would still be a good video with a real audience!

Like yes, he studied business in university, he might not have gotten the kinds of research skills and knowledge someone like Kaz Rowe uses to not just report on the history and analysis of others, but evaluate their relative validity and trustworthiness.

But honestly, since watching my niblings (oldest is 13) watch Youtube, I think you honestly can't underestimate the number of viewers who are really hungry for someone saying, "I don't understand this topic! Let's explore it together!"

But NOOOOOOO, Somerton didn't want to be just some schmuck waxing enthusiastic about homoeroticism on film and acknowledging the smartness of other people. He wanted to be HIM, MR. SMARTYBOY, very sophisticated and alluring and thoughtful and deep. Definitely an intellectual heavyweight who just happened to spout off his own personal ideas and analysis that put him at the forefront of all the scholarship on the topic he's come across.

I hate being wrong. Hate being wrong. But blogging for most of my life has forced me to confront constant textual evidence that two or ten or twenty years ago, I said some dumb-ass shit. Honestly, it'd probably keep me up at night sometimes even if I didn't have a written record. I absolutely understand the desire to scan the field, find the coolest people around, and quickly clothe yourself in as perfect an imitation of them as you can manage.

But if you want to be an artist or a scholar who produces something lasting, you can't prioritize coolness over truth all the time. To develop your true, independent voice, you need to find a time and place where it is just you and just the work you're doing, and you have pick up your tools and say, I don't know if I'm doing this right, but this is what feels right to me.

There are a lot of things in life to which we can only truly contribute our presence and our perspectives. Things we can only witness or hold space for. We cannot go back and bleed the pain out of history, or erase the complexity of another person's life. Not honestly, at least.

But those are the times that need our presence, our perspectives, our witness, and our space. When we gather round and tell sad tales about the death of kings, honesty can be the only thing you give that's worth a damn in the large scale of things.

If this dude had owned up to the truth and honestly showed the work of trying to piece together a queer understanding of the world, trying to draw the threads of culture together until he found a place he fit inside them, it would have been so much more valuable to our culture as a whole.

He probably made more money this way, though. While it lasted.

[batpoisonz]

My experience as a 2S gaybian:

Before all this, I was exclusive to "contradictory" labels all the way up until early 2023. I then labeled myself as an mspec lesbian, because as a 2S person, my gender and sexuality are impacted by my cultural experiences way beyond that of someone's binary thinking. Most white transphobes couldn't even comprehend my experiences with me being 2S.

When I was exclu; it was simply just my own ignorance. I was influenced by those around me who did not understand the labels themselves. I listened to their arguments and at the time it made sense. Until inclu people came by and explained the labels to me.

I was the only one in my friend group who sat down to have a discussion with these people. and their arguments made even more sense and disputed all the arguments my friends came up with!! It was an insane and confusing experience. When you want to be loyal to your friends but something they do is just so morally wrong, you wouldn't know what to do either!

This is where I start to understand, and when I started to become critical of both sides. I thought exclu people were "radical" as well, but being "radinclu" simply just wasn't "radical" to me just for including queer people in the QUEER community, ya know?

At the time even tho my stance was changing and developing, I still fought against mspec lesbians and gays; simply because I was scared of being an outcast, that I'd get harassed by exclu people, that people would be racist to me, etc etc. but I soon learned it was the complete opposite.

AS SOMEBODY WHO IS GAYBIAN, when I was exclu I experienced MASS AMOUNTS of racism; to the point I felt like I had to leave twitter (even after I made my account private). I had people questioning my validity as a native american simply because I was an ignorant homophobe.

Say it with me: IGNORANCE DOES NOT EXCUSE RACISM!!

I even had people calling me a chimp, a creature, I've been called a chimera, I got mass reported, I got called multiple racial slurs, of which not all I could even reclaim, I got called a hermaphrodite, way way more happened. my cc got filled with racism and homophobia too!! all because I was ignorant on the subject.

Not once did I call an inclu person (while I was exclu) any of these horrible things or harass them; I just blocked them and moved on with my day.

I will admit I was a bigot for sure but I would NEVER wish any of these things on anyone.

It doesn't stop there though. when I came out as gaybian, I lost almost ALL of my online friends. I also was closeted irl because I had people at my college getting VERY hostile whenever somebody mentioned you can be a bi lesbian.

Those same people were okay with the idea of being a biplatonic lesbian.

basically, my point here is that even as you evolve and grow as a person, become more accepting of not only others but also yourself; the queer community is extremely divided. Even IF everyone agreed that "contradictory" labels weren't an issue, it still wouldn't stop the heartless attacks we all get as queers on the daily. exclus said the SAME THING about neopronouns and xenogenders 7 years ago that they're saying about mspec lesbians and gays today. AND THAT'S A PROBLEM.

The US is climbing towards eradicating all of us as queers; starting with trans people, and they're slowly inching on towards homosexuality. People WITHIN the queer community are more concerned about how we label ourselves, when we all have our own unique oppression as queers, AND SHARED OPPRESSION AS WELL!!

I've legit heard people saying the hate crimes I've experienced as a gaybian don't actually exist and that I'm overreacting because my identity isn't real.

You know who gets the same thing told to THEM?

Most queers will hear that same quote; ESPECIALLY nonbinary people and trans people in general.

everyone who is queer, is queer. whether you "agree" with the labels or not. we are QUEER for a reason.

[hard--headed--woman]

You have to be incredibly stupid to believe that me saying heterosexuals don't belong in the community created for same sex attracted people means I want a club or think the community is about oppression contests. Internet rots the brain, the word queer rots the brain, and you should try something very nice called critical thinking.

1) The community isn’t and never was for people who don't fit the norm. This is what you people don't understand. Being considered weird by this society isn’t enough to make you a part of this community. Do you know how all of it started ? Do you know what the point of this community is ? Do you know what we fight for ? I'll tell you : it was about same sex attraction. People were oppressed for being attracted to the same sex. They were killed, kicked out, arrested, fired, beaten up, mocked, humiliated. We fought for our right to love the same sex. We created a community to fight together and to feel safe together. It was never about aromantism or asexuality. It was about homosexuality, bisexuality and homophobia. We created an acronym, LGB. Then the T was added even if not everyone agreed with it. And since this moment, heterosexuals try to invade our community. Because they want to be special or different, because they want to be oppressed. Without any respect for everything we've done and for our fight, they started to say the belonged here because they... don't like to fuck ? Or fuck without being in love with the other person ? Lmao. You should all be ashamed. You are a disease, parasites in this community.

2) "the queer community was pioneered by trans women 🤪" really ? how ? the first groups of activism for gay and bi people were created by gay and bi people. Gay men and lesbians created the Pride. The Stonewall riots were started by a butch lesbian and drag king, Stormé DeLarverie. Most people here were gay men and lesbians. Marsha arrived late at the riots and was a gay man. Sylvia wasn't here. We got the right to marry thanks to lesbians and gay men. Serioulsy, log off tumblr sometimes and read a fucking book. Watch a documentary. It'll do you a lot of good because you are so ignorant it's literally disrespectful to every homosexual person ever. Everything you said, you took it from tumblr posts. You do not know anything yourself, you just spit tumblr rhetoric without thinking about it twice. That's embarrassing for you. If you really can't do anything without the internet, which I suppose is the case, I suggest you to look up Fred Sargeant. He created Pride. And he agrees with me. Also, by the West, I think you mean the USA, because in my country for example, trans women did even less than in the USA.

3) "All heterosexuals cannot oppress all queer people" sure lol, since most people who use that word, a homophobic slur by the way, are heterosexuals who want to feel special. Do you know how oppression is ? Do you know what oppressive and oppressed class means ? I guess you don't, since don't really seem to shine with intelligence. In our homophobic society, homosexuals and bisexuals are the minority, the oppressed class. Heterosexuals are the majority, the privileged, the oppressors. Heterosexual aromantics are still part of the majority, the privileged, the oppressors. That's how oppressors works. It's not about who is mean to you and who isn’t. Don't talk about politics if you don't understand that because it just makes you sound ridiculous. Opposite sex attracted aro and ace people are the oppressors of lesbians, gay men and bi people. Including them in the community of the class they oppress is fucked up. Are they same sex attracted ? No ? Then they don't belong here and I don't give a fuck if it hurts your miserable feelings. Come back to me when you know some history, politics and respect. It's not my job as a lesbian to make straight people feel included in a community that wasn't created for them.

Your whole idea of activism is just "accepting and including everyone in everything". You probably think you're so smart, but activism doesn't work like that and this is just lazy and ignorant. Exclusion is necessary for things and activism to work. We can be friendly to each other and support each other without being a part of the same community. It's crazy that it is that hard to understand for so many of you.

Stay mad 🤷🏽‍♀️

The A in LGBTQIA+ doesn't stand for ally you absolute fuckface, it stands for Aspec (ie asexual/AROMANTIC/agender). The only person who doesn't belong in the community is you. Oppressors do not belong in spaces with the people they're oppressing. Go inhale glass you fucking aphobe.

I am a lesbian so I belong in the community, unlike heterosexuals ! As you said, oppressors don't belong in the same space of the people they are oppressing, that is why straight aro//ace people aren't a part of this community, hope that helps and cry harder <3

[vernicle]

You don't have to march in Pride to make a difference for LGBTQ people. Here's how.

[ad_1]

You really don't have to be at a Pleasure march to make a variance.

In June 1969, a group of New Yorkers resolved they'd experienced plenty of.

Patrons of the Stonewall Inn, an LGBTQ bar in Greenwich Village, stood up to police officers who'd reportedly been continuously harassing and targeting them for their sexual orientations and gender identities. The demonstrations that ensued sparked the commencing of the contemporary LGBTQ civil legal rights motion.

The exterior of the Stonewall Inn in New York City. Photo by Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Illustrations or photos.

The Stonewall Inn riots encouraged President Clinton to declare June "Homosexual and Lesbian Pleasure Thirty day period" in 1998. In 2009, President Obama expanded on the recognition, deeming it "Lesbian, Homosexual, Bisexual, and Transgender Pleasure Thirty day period," as it stays now.

This June feels distinct although.

Soon after a long time of getting an ally in the White Residence, President Trump's administration — unchecked by a GOP Congress — is threatening to roll again legal rights for LGBTQ people. It can be essential we stand in solidarity.

If you can make it out to a Pleasure march in your space, great. But even if you cannot (or just despise major crowds), you can continue to aid the motion.

1. Help acquire a bus ticket for a close friend so they can go to the March for Equality in Washington, D.C.

LGBTQ Pleasure marches are occurring in towns from coast to coast. But the most notable just one this yr will unfold in the nation's money on June 11. The Equality March for Unity and Pleasure is mobilizing queer people and their allies in aid of LGBTQ legal rights underneath a new administration that wishes to choose us backward.

You can do this everywhere, but if you occur to know someone in New York City who is fascinated in heading but doesn't have the vacation funds, you can acquire them a bus ticket on Grindr's "Pleasure Trip" to D.C.

2. If you happen to be going to the East Coastline this summer season, handle yo'self to a scoop of major, homosexual ice cream.

You can find very little explicitly homosexual about the delicious treats at the Major Homosexual Ice Cream Retailers in New York City and Philadelphia, of training course. But the enterprise, which commenced as a foods truck in 2009 before increasing into storefronts, has been a very pleased supporter of the Ali Forney Center, a nonprofit that assists homeless LGBTQ youth.

Check this out. @trainerbob is just not *exactly* declaring it but my choose-absent is that it truly is thoroughly ok to eat 2 pints a working day. Repost from @trainerbob. ・・・ I cannot tell you the very last time I experienced an ice cream cone...it was actually Excellent! Hahaha @biggayicecream

A put up shared by Major. Homosexual. Ice. Cream. (@biggayicecream) on May well three, 2017 at 8:33am PDT

When you scream for (major, homosexual) ice cream, you happen to be also assisting the company raise awareness and methods for young people in want. And which is a major, homosexual win-win.

three. Snatch up just one of these wonderful Pleasure shirts in aid of LGBTQ youth in want.

In celebration of #Pride🌈, we're excited to bring you our unique #StandForPride selection. a hundred% of revenue will be donated to #LGBTQ charities! ☀️🌈

A put up shared by Characterize (@characterize) on Jun three, 2017 at 1:32pm PDT

Through an initiative established by Characterize, a hundred% of revenue from these shirts will benefit The Trevor Undertaking, which focuses on suicide prevention efforts between LGBTQ youth, as properly as the NOH8 campaign, which makes use of social media platforms to boost equality.

four. Or, if you happen to be a basketball supporter, maybe these Pleasure shirts are more up your alley.

Photo courtesy of the NBA/WNBA.

The NBA and WNBA partnered with GLSEN, an business assisting to make our schools safer and more inclusive for LGBTQ students, to develop Pleasure shirts for each individual professional team. A part of the proceeds will benefit the nonprofit.

A critical element in guaranteeing classrooms are inclusive is recognizing the achievements of LGBTQ people all through background.

5. Commit this thirty day period to reading just just one Wikipedia entry a working day on LGBTQ background and queer pioneers.

Faculty curriculums usually gloss about the background of, and worries confronted by, marginalized groups. The LGBTQ community is no distinct.

It helps make sense that quite a few of us haven't discovered about people like Marsha P. Johnson, Dan Choi, Edith Windsor, and Harvey Milk — some of the trailblazers who assisted us get to in which we are now.

Lt. Dan Choi, who arrived out as homosexual in 2009 even though serving in the armed forces, grew to become a pioneer in ending the military's homophobic "Really don't Talk to, Really don't Tell" plan.  Photo by Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Illustrations or photos.

Each working day in June, choose 10 minutes to study up on a well-known LGBTQ figure or moment in background. Your teammates at the subsequent trivia night will thank you for it.

6. Now that you happen to be up on your queer background, electronic mail a local university or university district and inquire that the students there are way too.

Final yr, California grew to become the initially state to mandate LGBTQ-inclusive curriculums in its background and social science demands. As Vice noted, it may well established off a chain reaction way too, as other states look to incorporate more various views and historic figures in their classroom guidelines.

Mail an electronic mail — or show up at a university board meeting or bring it up at the subsequent PTA meeting — to get this problem on the radar in your town, if it truly is not by now.

7. Drop in to a cafe or retail store that supports its LGBTQ workers — and stay clear of the areas that really don't.

The Human Legal rights Campaign releases a Company Equality Index each individual yr learning and rating organizations based on how supportive their office policies are for LGBTQ people.

Numerous distinct aspects — which includes if a enterprise highlights LGBTQ protections in its anti-discrimination policies or if it provides transgender-inclusive overall health treatment gains — are regarded as in the index.

Thank you @Concentrate on for having pride in all of the @CityofPhoenixAZ! @PhoenixPrideAZ #takepride http://pic.twitter.com/TJPm1Jtkqy

— Doug Mings (@douglasmings) June 1, 2017

Concentrate on — which adopted professional-LGBTQ policies and established distinct Pleasure merchandise for buyers in current a long time — was a leading-rated enterprise for its inclusive office in 2017.

Even if you happen to be not marching in Pleasure, the way you spend your pounds helps make a variance.

8. If you happen to be not LGBTQ and new to this complete Pleasure point, established aside thirty minutes to get started understanding about remaining a very good ally.

Is your little one — or your mom or father — LGBTQ? What about a colleague or close friend at university? Do you want to be there for transgender people in your community, but not certain in which to get started? GLAAD compiled beneficial guides for allies to do their finest supporting the LGBTQ people they know and love.

Photo by Yana Paskova/Getty Illustrations or photos.

Professional tip: Do this before breaking out any rainbow attire.

9. Drink some delectable wine even though supporting queer artists and LGBTQ youth in want of stable housing.

In honor of Pleasure thirty day period, City Winery Chicago worked with four LGBTQ artists — Kelly Boner, James Schwab, Tennessee Loveless, and Sierra Berquist — to style the labels for its "Participating in with Labels" campaign.

Photo courtesy of Dustin DuBois/City Winery Chicago.

With each individual bottle ordered, $10 goes towards Undertaking Fierce Chicago, a nonprofit that delivers supportive transitional housing to homeless LGBTQ youth in the Windy City. Can not make it to a Pleasure march in person? Drink up!

10. Paint your nails rainbow colors.

They're going to provide as a wonderful conversation starter with family members or good friends. You can point out Pleasure and what the thirty day period means to you.

Moreover, they will look wonderful.

its copenhagen pride 7 days so i created rainbow nails http://pic.twitter.com/FHv6tkqzQX

— oline (@olllline) August 16, 2016

11. Decide on just one lesser regarded LGBTQ advocacy group and dedicate a regular monthly gift to aid its operate.

National companies like the Human Legal rights Campaign and GLAAD are assisting to conserve and better the life of LGBTQ people throughout the nation. Supporting them helps make a variance.

But there are quite a few other groups doing the job underneath the radar that have earned our consideration way too.

Thrilled to mail out surveys to @sylviariveralawproject Prisoner Advisory Committee (PAC) customers as element of SRLP's 2017 reboot of It can be War in In this article. To study more about SRLP's Prisoner Justice operate and PAC, check out http://ift.tt/2sdnhoQ

A put up shared by Sylvia Rivera Law Undertaking (@sylviariveralawproject) on May well 23, 2017 at 5:43pm PDT

If you happen to be appealing in making donations, look at contributing to companies like Fierce, Trans Lifeline, ACT UP, and the Sylvia Rivera Law Undertaking, concentrated on more area of interest (but continue to essential) concerns going through the LGBTQ community, usually with a lot lesser budgets.

twelve. You can find a decent chance you have at the very least just one Fb close friend who's in the closet. Produce a supportive put up noting that you happen to be there for them, any time.

When you aren't open about your sexuality or gender identity, coming out can be a very scary point for quite a few LGBTQ people — specifically if you have couple of (or no) accepting family members customers or good friends.

Sharing a Fb standing letting any of your good friends who are in the closet know that you happen to be a person they can chat to actually could improve their daily life.

thirteen. Established your calendars: Most midterm elections are Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018, and the LGBTQ community demands you to clearly show up.

Midterms never get the exact media fanfare as presidential election a long time, even although, in quite a few methods, they are of equivalent consequence. You can have to do some digging on the candidates in your state vying for office in get to get a very good comprehending of who they are and what they will fight for.

Mayor Peter Buttigieg is the initially brazenly homosexual mayor of South Bend, Indiana. Photo by Derek Henkle/AFP/Getty Illustrations or photos.

There are quite a few essential concerns that want our consideration — climate improve, preventing poverty, developing jobs, felony justice reform — but LGBTQ legal rights is an problem on the ballot way too. If you cannot make it to a march, the the very least you can do is dedicate to understanding about how your candidates approach to assist (or harm) LGBTQ people in your space and maintain their stances in brain on Nov. 6, 2018.

14. Make it a objective: For the subsequent kid's birthday on your calendar, acquire them a e-book or movie which is LGBTQ-inclusive.

The amusement and toy options out there for young children want to get better at variety, particularly when it comes to LGBTQ illustration.

Studying fairy tales like "Promised Land" and viewing quick movies like "In a Heartbeat" and "Rosaline" — all tales for young children that characteristic exact-intercourse love passions — will assist young queer people have an understanding of they have a place in this environment, even though instructing straight and cisgender young children that their LGBTQ friends are deserving of love and respect.

Photo courtesy of "Promised Land."

fifteen. Discover about a urgent LGBTQ legal rights problem in your have backyard and comply with a local Fb group to stay up to speed.

Consider local: What worries does the LGBTQ community experience in your town or state?

Just very last thirty day period, legislators in Texas authorised a invoice that would deny trans students the appropriate to use the lavatory that corresponds with their gender. Lawmakers in North Carolina not too long ago tried using to reverse relationship equality in the Tar Heel state. Throughout the nation, LGBTQ legal rights concerns are remaining sorted out and resolved by local university boards.

It only can take a couple of minutes to obtain some local LGBTQ Fb groups and comply with them so you can stay plugged in to what is occurring in your space and fight for what is appropriate.

16. Share this strong online video about a transgender lady and her loving family members.

Some of your good friends on Fb could possibly be more hesitant (or outright towards) viewing it. But which is the complete stage.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/observe?v=Q95XbY4CVhQ?wmode=transparent&showinfo=&controls=1&enablejsapi=1&rel=&version=three&coloration=white&w=560&h=315]

When we elevate tales that put ourselves in the sneakers of someone with distinct daily life encounters, we are likely to develop bridges. It helps make sense that when someone is aware of an LGBTQ person and hears their story, they are far more possible to aid LGBTQ legal rights.

seventeen. If you are living in a state which is debating a lavatory invoice, make certain to call your rep — if possible more than after.

So-called "lavatory expenditures" — which halt trans children and grownups from employing the restroom that corresponds to their gender — puts people who are by now more at-threat of violence in even more unpleasant and dangerous situations. These expenditures are born from fearmongering and myths about transgender people.

If you are living in just one of the fifteen states in which a lavatory invoice is in the works, call your representatives in Washington and voice your issues.

Rainbow flags and festive parades are crucial in unifying the LGBTQ community each individual June. But they are only just one element of what it means to celebrate Pleasure.

This June, admit all the constructive improve which is transpired because these initially rioters fought again outside the Stonewall Inn practically 50 a long time in the past. Then, dedicate to assisting force that progress ahead even though preventing the forces trying to stall it, on the other hand you can.

We all perform a element in guaranteeing equality.

Photo by Wojtek Radwanski/AFP/Getty Illustrations or photos.

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[tragicbooks]

You don't have to march in Pride to make a difference for LGBTQ people. Here's how.

You don't have to be at a Pride march to make a difference.

In June 1969, a group of New Yorkers decided they'd had enough.

Patrons of the Stonewall Inn, an LGBTQ bar in Greenwich Village, stood up to police officers who'd reportedly been repeatedly harassing and targeting them for their sexual orientations and gender identities. The demonstrations that ensued sparked the beginning of the modern LGBTQ civil rights movement.

The exterior of the Stonewall Inn in New York City. Photo by Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images.

The Stonewall Inn riots inspired President Clinton to declare June "Gay and Lesbian Pride Month" in 1998. In 2009, President Obama expanded on the recognition, deeming it "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month," as it remains today.

This June feels different though.

After years of having an ally in the White House, President Trump's administration — unchecked by a GOP Congress — is threatening to roll back rights for LGBTQ people. It's crucial we stand in solidarity.

If you can make it out to a Pride march in your area, excellent. But even if you can't (or just despise big crowds), you can still support the movement.

1. Help buy a bus ticket for a friend so they can go to the March for Equality in Washington, D.C.

LGBTQ Pride marches are happening in cities from coast to coast. But the most notable one this year will unfold in the nation's capital on June 11. The Equality March for Unity and Pride is mobilizing queer people and their allies in support of LGBTQ rights under a new administration that wants to take us backward.

You can do this anywhere, but if you happen to know someone in New York City who is interested in going but doesn't have the travel funds, you can buy them a bus ticket on Grindr's "Pride Ride" to D.C.

2. If you're visiting the East Coast this summer, treat yo'self to a scoop of big, gay ice cream.

There's nothing explicitly gay about the tasty treats at the Big Gay Ice Cream Shops in New York City and Philadelphia, of course. But the company, which started as a food truck in 2009 before expanding into storefronts, has been a proud supporter of the Ali Forney Center, a nonprofit that helps homeless LGBTQ youth.

Check this out. @trainerbob isn't *exactly* saying it but my take-away is that it's totally ok to eat 2 pints a day. Repost from @trainerbob. ・・・ I can't tell you the last time I had an ice cream cone...it was really GOOD! Hahaha @biggayicecream

A post shared by Big. Gay. Ice. Cream. (@biggayicecream) on May 3, 2017 at 8:33am PDT

When you scream for (big, gay) ice cream, you're also helping the business raise awareness and resources for young people in need. And that's a big, gay win-win.

3. Snatch up one of these glorious Pride shirts in support of LGBTQ youth in need.

In celebration of #Pride🌈, we're excited to bring you our exclusive #StandForPride collection. 100% of profits will be donated to #LGBTQ charities! ☀️🌈

A post shared by Represent (@represent) on Jun 3, 2017 at 1:32pm PDT

Through an initiative created by Represent, 100% of profits from these shirts will benefit The Trevor Project, which focuses on suicide prevention efforts among LGBTQ youth, as well as the NOH8 campaign, which utilizes social media platforms to promote equality.

4. Or, if you're a basketball fan, maybe these Pride shirts are more up your alley.

Photo courtesy of the NBA/WNBA.

The NBA and WNBA partnered with GLSEN, an organization helping to make our schools safer and more inclusive for LGBTQ students, to create Pride shirts for every pro team. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the nonprofit.

A critical component in ensuring classrooms are inclusive is recognizing the accomplishments of LGBTQ people throughout history.

5. Commit this month to reading just one Wikipedia entry a day on LGBTQ history and queer pioneers.

School curriculums often gloss over the history of, and challenges faced by, marginalized groups. The LGBTQ community is no different.

It makes sense that many of us haven't learned about people like Marsha P. Johnson, Dan Choi, Edith Windsor, and Harvey Milk — some of the trailblazers who helped us get to where we are today.

Lt. Dan Choi, who came out as gay in 2009 while serving in the armed forces, became a pioneer in ending the military's homophobic "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.  Photo by Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images.

Each day in June, take 10 minutes to read up on a famous LGBTQ figure or moment in history. Your teammates at the next trivia night will thank you for it.

6. Now that you're up on your queer history, email a local school or school district and ask that the students there are too.

Last year, California became the first state to mandate LGBTQ-inclusive curriculums in its history and social science requirements. As Vice reported, it may set off a chain reaction too, as other states look to include more diverse perspectives and historical figures in their classroom instructions.

Send an email — or attend a school board meeting or bring it up at the next PTA meeting — to get this issue on the radar in your city, if it's not already.

7. Drop in to a restaurant or store that supports its LGBTQ employees — and avoid the places that don't.

The Human Rights Campaign releases a Corporate Equality Index each year studying and ranking businesses based on how supportive their workplace policies are for LGBTQ people.

Many different factors — including if a company highlights LGBTQ protections in its anti-discrimination policies or if it offers transgender-inclusive health care benefits — are considered in the index.

Thank you @Target for taking pride in all of the @CityofPhoenixAZ! @PhoenixPrideAZ #takepride http://pic.twitter.com/TJPm1Jtkqy

— Doug Mings (@douglasmings) June 1, 2017

Target — which adopted pro-LGBTQ policies and created specific Pride products for customers in recent years — was a top-rated company for its inclusive workplace in 2017.

Even if you're not marching in Pride, the way you spend your dollars makes a difference.

8. If you're not LGBTQ and new to this whole Pride thing, set aside 30 minutes to start learning about being a good ally.

Is your child — or your mom or dad — LGBTQ? What about a colleague or friend at school? Do you want to be there for transgender people in your community, but not sure where to start? GLAAD compiled helpful guides for allies to do their best supporting the LGBTQ people they know and love.

Photo by Yana Paskova/Getty Images.

Pro tip: Do this before breaking out any rainbow attire.

9. Drink some delicious wine while supporting queer artists and LGBTQ youth in need of stable housing.

In honor of Pride month, City Winery Chicago worked with four LGBTQ artists — Kelly Boner, James Schwab, Tennessee Loveless, and Sierra Berquist — to design the labels for its "Playing with Labels" campaign.

Photo courtesy of Dustin DuBois/City Winery Chicago.

With each bottle purchased, $10 goes toward Project Fierce Chicago, a nonprofit that provides supportive transitional housing to homeless LGBTQ youth in the Windy City. Can't make it to a Pride march in person? Drink up!

10. Paint your nails rainbow colors.

They'll serve as a great conversation starter with family or friends. You can mention Pride and what the month means to you.

Plus, they'll look great.

its copenhagen pride week so i made rainbow nails http://pic.twitter.com/FHv6tkqzQX

— oline (@olllline) August 16, 2016

11. Choose one lesser known LGBTQ advocacy group and commit a monthly gift to support its work.

National organizations like the Human Rights Campaign and GLAAD are helping to save and better the lives of LGBTQ people across the country. Supporting them makes a difference.

But there are many other groups working under the radar that deserve our attention too.

Excited to send out surveys to @sylviariveralawproject Prisoner Advisory Committee (PAC) members as part of SRLP's 2017 reboot of It's War in Here. To read more about SRLP's Prisoner Justice work and PAC, visit http://ift.tt/2rURIwN

A post shared by Sylvia Rivera Law Project (@sylviariveralawproject) on May 23, 2017 at 5:43pm PDT

If you're interesting in making donations, consider contributing to organizations like Fierce, Trans Lifeline, ACT UP, and the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, focused on more niche (but still crucial) issues facing the LGBTQ community, often with much smaller budgets.

12. There's a decent chance you have at least one Facebook friend who's in the closet. Write a supportive post noting that you're there for them, any time.

When you aren't open about your sexuality or gender identity, coming out can be a very scary thing for many LGBTQ people — especially if you have few (or no) accepting family members or friends.

Sharing a Facebook status letting any of your friends who are in the closet know that you're a person they can talk to really could change their life.

13. Set your calendars: Most midterm elections are Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018, and the LGBTQ community needs you to show up.

Midterms never get the same media fanfare as presidential election years, even though, in many ways, they're of equal consequence. You'll have to do some digging on the candidates in your state vying for office in order to get a good understanding of who they are and what they'll fight for.

Mayor Peter Buttigieg is the first openly gay mayor of South Bend, Indiana. Photo by Derek Henkle/AFP/Getty Images.

There are many crucial issues that need our attention — climate change, fighting poverty, creating jobs, criminal justice reform — but LGBTQ rights is an issue on the ballot too. If you can't make it to a march, the least you can do is commit to learning about how your candidates plan to help (or harm) LGBTQ people in your area and keep their stances in mind on Nov. 6, 2018.

14. Make it a goal: For the next kid's birthday on your calendar, buy them a book or movie that's LGBTQ-inclusive.

The entertainment and toy selections available for kids need to get better at diversity, particularly when it comes to LGBTQ representation.

Reading fairy tales like "Promised Land" and watching short films like "In a Heartbeat" and "Rosaline" — all stories for kids that feature same-sex love interests — will help young queer people understand they have a place in this world, while teaching straight and cisgender kids that their LGBTQ peers are deserving of love and respect.

Photo courtesy of "Promised Land."

15. Learn about a pressing LGBTQ rights issue in your own backyard and follow a local Facebook group to stay up to speed.

Think local: What challenges does the LGBTQ community face in your city or state?

Just last month, legislators in Texas approved a bill that would deny trans students the right to use the bathroom that corresponds with their gender. Lawmakers in North Carolina recently tried to reverse marriage equality in the Tar Heel state. Across the country, LGBTQ rights issues are being sorted out and decided by local school boards.

It only takes a few minutes to find some local LGBTQ Facebook groups and follow them so you can stay plugged in to what's happening in your area and fight for what's right.

16. Share this powerful video about a transgender girl and her loving family.

Some of your friends on Facebook might be more hesitant (or outright against) watching it. But that's the whole point.

When we elevate stories that put ourselves in the shoes of someone with different life experiences, we tend to build bridges. It makes sense that when someone knows an LGBTQ person and hears their story, they're far more likely to support LGBTQ rights.

17. If you live in a state that's debating a bathroom bill, make sure to call your rep — preferably more than once.

So-called "bathroom bills" — which stop trans children and adults from using the restroom that corresponds to their gender — puts people who are already more at-risk of violence in even more uncomfortable and dangerous situations. These bills are born from fearmongering and myths about transgender people.

If you live in one of the 15 states where a bathroom bill is in the works, call your representatives in Washington and voice your concerns.

Rainbow flags and festive parades are important in unifying the LGBTQ community every June. But they're only one component of what it means to celebrate Pride.

This June, acknowledge all the positive change that's happened since those first rioters fought back outside the Stonewall Inn nearly 50 years ago. Then, commit to helping push that progress forward while fighting the forces trying to stall it, however you can.

We all play a part in ensuring equality.

Photo by Wojtek Radwanski/AFP/Getty Images.