Making The World More Accepting This Pride Month
Since the early 1970s, the month of June has become one of great significance for the LGBTQ+ community. Each year, we recognise June as Pride Month. A month where people commemorate the Stonewall Riots of 1969 and honour the continuous fight that the LGBTQ+ community has to put up for the numerous atrocities against them.
For the duration of Pride Month, people flock to the streets in large numbers, carry out parades, raise their voices and hoist rainbow flags, which is now a universal symbol of representation for the LGBTQ+ community. And beyond this representation, every colour of the flag has a significant meaning of its own.
The colour red represents life. The lives of people forming part of the LGBTQ+ community are just as valuable as the lives of heterosexual people. Through all the discrimination the community has faced and continue to deal with, it's crucial to recognise LGBTQ+ people for who they are and value their lives just as you would anyone else's.
The colour orange signifies healing. We often underestimate the pain LGBTQ+ people have dealt with and the strength it takes to heal and carry on from that. Yet, their fight never stops. The least the rest of us can do is try and make the world a safer place for them.
Yellow represents sunlight, and sunlight is often a sign of hope. If people outside the LGBTQ+ community make an effort to be more accepting, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to be hopeful of a kinder future.
Green represents nature. There have been instances where LGBTQ+ people are viewed as unnatural. Simply because some people refuse to look beyond what they believe to be correct. But if we can accept the most bizarre parts of nature, is it problematic to acknowledge people a little different from us?
The colour blue is a sign of serenity. LGBTQ+ people only look forward to a world where they can live in peace with everyone around them. So why not take a stand to help make it possible?
Violet, the last colour on the flag, stands for spirit. Through all the hardships that the LGBTQ+ community has faced, they've held on to a spirit of determination. A determination to keep fighting for the rights they deserve to have but continuously get denied.
Although there has been significant progress in societal perceptions of LGBTQ+ people, we are still far off from where we need to be. There are still 69 countries in the world where same-sex activities are illegal. Discrimination continues to prevail, especially towards LGBTQ+ people of colour. It's unfortunate that after numerous years, the acceptance of people over varying sexualities is still up for debate.
We underestimate how crucial simple acceptance is for building a world where people can grow together. Self-acceptance amongst LGBTQ+ people is challenging in its own regard. And when the world around them fails to show even the slightest acceptance, it makes it hard for them to feel free, even to their own selves.
This Pride Month, at Chrysalis Salon and Beauty Supply, we encourage people to take a vow to be more accepting of the people around us. Become more attentive to how we can help the LGBTQ+ community live better. Their lives are equally important for a better future ahead. So why can't we all work to be better allies and build a world that's accepting and safe for them all?
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