We’ve spent weeks thinking how we could celebrate Pride month this year. Our small team has always considered ourselves Allies of the LGBTQIA+ community, yet, after visiting one idea after the next and doing endless research on the topic, nothing ever felt right. It was clear, at this point, that there's an opportunity to start a conversation about it.
We realized we’ve always stayed quiet and never really asked. It's difficult that we grew up in a culture that fed us information placing stereotypes within the community, or maybe it's human nature to stay within your comfort zone hiding in the fear of saying the wrong things.
With the hopes of changing these old habits, we asked a few of our amazing friends to share their points of view. Our intent for this journal is to encourage more conversations and more learning about this topic. We hope that together, we could break some preconceived notions, spark some change within us and be better allies to our friends.
What does Pride mean to you?
Pride is all about celebration of our rights, infinite love, and a protest to fight for equality and rights in our community.
What are common misconceptions about your identity and/or the LGBTQIA+ community? How do you think can this misconception be changed?:
Common misconceptions include that LGBTQ+ members are suffering from mental health condition because they consider homosexuality as a phase of confusion or disease, that people like us are not normal and that we are requesting for common rights. I always state the fact that we are humans, have rights and therefore should be treated equally, and no discrimination based on our SOGIE.
What do you consider as your greatest struggle with regards to your chosen identity?
That people are saying it’s just a phase and I am confused. We also experience discrimination within the community and therefore compromising inclusivity.
What can we do better to help you and/or the community?
one should learn SOGIE, educate and understand the struggles of their friends that includes in the spectrum.
What does Pride mean to you?
Pride is taking comfort in being yourself. Pride is celebrating your life without worrying about what the rest of the world thinks of you. It’s celebrating inclusivity, diversity, and self-worth.
It’s recognizing the people who fought for our rights, for our freedom of expression, it’s a protest against a society that encourages people to go against each other.
What are common misconceptions about your identity and/or the LGBTQIA+ community?
Transmen are only men when they transition (HRT, Top Surgery, etc.)
We don’t have to physically appear as a man to be a man. Body parts will never define you as a person.
Gender in general is a social construct. And I feel that it’s important to address that you don’t have to fall into what society perceives as “normal”
If you really think about it, if everyone was accepting and less judgmental about how others want to live their lives, we wouldn’t need all these labels. We could all just say that we’re being ourselves and that’s acceptable, that’s normal.
How do you think can this misconception be changed?
Mindset. (Cis) People tend to judge people from the LGBTQIA+ community based on what they learned growing up. But we should all know better by now. It’s wrong to judge ANYONE in anyway regardless of their SOGIE, and everything else that falls underneath the complex reality of being human.
As long as you’re not hurting anyone in the process of being/finding yourself. Then you’re good.
What do you consider as your greatest struggle with regards to your chosen identity?
The lack of understanding that leads to the discrimination against trans people affects our overall quality of life. We don’t get to enjoy basic human rights; we have very limited access to health care, little to no support and protection from the government. All of which makes it hard to improve our mental and emotional state as well.
What can we do better to help you and/or the community?
Be compassionate. Be kind. Respect people whether they’re part of the community or not. We’re all human beings after all.
What does Pride mean to you?
Pride is recognizing the efforts of those who came before us. Respecting history and acknowledging that nobody gets to enjoy the freedom if it weren't for those who paved the way. Pride is ultimately about love and respect.
What are common misconceptions about your identity and/or the LGBTQIA+ community? How do you think can this misconception be changed?
I feel like when people who identify as gay promote the "let boys be feminine" ideology that is totally valid but in the same respect, some gay men also do not automatically subscribe to feminine things. I know of gay men who have no interest in fashion, pop divas and/or rom-com.
I think it's always healthy to not assume and give enough leeway for gay people to be interested in a myriad of things may it be in something as feminine as high fashion or as masculine as sports.
What do you consider as your greatest struggle with your chosen identity?
The struggle I constantly feel is that I have to prove myself to people. But I slowly have come to terms with that, that my achievements are because I want to be a better person for me and not because I'm doing it to appease them or anything.
What can we do better to help you and/or the community?
Movies mirror life in a lot of ways so it would be great if straight people get to watch LGBTQIA+ films. I feel like there is hesitation because they do not want to be "influenced" but at the very core of everything is that our love is just as organic and pure. It takes maturity, a willingness to learn and a lot of humanity to be accepting rather than just tolerant.
Being an ally starts with a genuine intent to learn and listen with an open heart and an open mind. There is no one and right way to live, we are all beautiful beings deserving of love, deserving of kindness and deserving of respect. It all boils down to being your own authentic self and allowing others to do the same. Let's keep celebrating and supporting each other the best way we can.