It was a “gay purge,” and it was still happening less than 30 years ago. They were investigated and interrogated, some even forced to undergo polygraph testing, then discharged because they were considered threats to national security. According to workplace advocates Out & Equal, only 22 states and the District of Columbia prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.Ĭanadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently apologized to the thousands of LGBTQ men and women who were fired by government agencies, including the military, between the 1950s and 1992. It’s still perfectly legal in some states for employers to fire people on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. It’s a time to honor how far we’ve come - but also how much further we still need to go. The motive has always been - and should remain - political. A reminder to all outside and within the LGBTQ community of our thorny relationship with police and the laws that aimed to dehumanize us. In Canada, Toronto’s Pride was launched in similar fashion after protests erupted when police raided four bathhouses in February 1981 and arrested hundreds of gay men. Pride has been celebrated every year in June since 1970 after the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York, when police raided the Stonewall Inn. There is a level of social and systemic privilege not afforded to many members of the LGBTQ community in North America, and certainly in many countries around the world. Never has a person lost their job for being white or straight in North America, or been denied an apartment for being white and straight, or been leered at or attacked by strangers for simply holding hands with their significant others. More: Many have said things hurtful about the LGBTQ community in the past. More: Trump fears come true for LGBTQ: Column The simplest expression to help illustrate the continuing need for these days and months (other than “every day is men’s day” or “white history is celebrated every month” or “straight pride is every day”) is that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Undoubtedly - and like clockwork - some will wonder: But what about "Straight Pride"?
June is Pride Month, a time to reflect on and celebrate lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer history. In March, some men will decry the need for an International Women’s Day, celebrated on the 8th. In February, it’s, “Well, what about White History Month?” Alternatively, meme artists will slam corporations for shilling useless rainbow merchandise while refusing to help the LGBTQ community with any money or structural support.Editor's note: This column was originally published on June 1, 2018.Įvery time a month or week - or even a day - purporting to honor the achievements of a minority group starts, in storms some seldom-silent members of the majority with cries of “What about us?” Memes will sometimes mock corporations for changing their logo to rainbow for Pride Month while ignoring LGBTQ rights the rest of the year. Anti-corporate pride memesĪnti-corporate memes typically target corporations who exploit Pride Month for their personal gain and profit, a phenomenon known as rainbow capitalism or gay capitalism.Ĭritics and meme artists often accuse corporations of demonstrating superficial support for the queer and trans community. Here are the best Pride memes from 2019 in both categories.
If I were to classify Pride memes scientifically, I'd say that they tend to fall into one of two categories: anti-corporate Pride memes, which mock corporations for their participation in Pride Month, or extremely niche pro-gay Pride memes, which are far more affirming and serve the LGBTQ community directly. SEE ALSO: Memes of Meryl Streep's 'Big Little Lies' scream are so good you'll scream
Thankfully, this year's Pride Month brought us particularly good, dark, sarcastic, and sometimes even empowering meme content.