June 3 | Pride Month

Dear San Diego Oasis Participants,

Welcome to June, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) Pride Month! Pride Month is a month-long, nationwide event when the LGBTQ+ community comes together to celebrate the freedom to be themselves.

Many of you may be wondering why Pride month takes place in June. To answer this question, we have to go back to June 28, 1969, when police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club in Greenwich Village, New York City, to arrest bar patrons simply for their sexuality. This raid resulted in bar patrons, staff, and neighborhood residents rioting in the streets outside. This demonstration continued over six days. Through these protests, LGBTQ+-identifying people demanded the establishment of places where they could be open about their sexuality without fear of arrest. For this reason, Pride Month is celebrated in June to commemorate the courageous actions of the people at Stonewall who fought for the right to be unapologetically themselves.It is essential to remember that many brave individuals who protested at Stonewall are now members of the older adult community. Despite the incredible challenges and barriers, the Stonewall generation has led the fight for LGBTQ+ rights and inspired a new, younger generation to do the same. Their perseverance is what brought us to where we are today.

The LGBTQ community is not only characterized by resilience and strength but also by love and acceptance. This month, we also want to remind the LGBTQ+ community that they are loved and appreciated. At San Diego Oasis, we recognize that every person deserves dignity, respect, and support no matter who they love or how they identify. We will be celebrating you and uplifting your voices throughout this month, but this doesn’t mean that our advocacy ends on July 1. This spotlight is our promise to continue creating a safe and welcoming space for the LGBTQ community so that everyone can be who they are with pride.

Happy Pride Month, LGBTQ+ San Diego Oasis participants.
You are welcome here; you are loved here; you are celebrated here.

Sincerely,
Sydney Folsom, Diversity Outreach Coordinator | [email protected]