As LGBTQ+ Pride Month comes to an end, we will see all the brands change their logos back from their rainbow themes to their basic themes; there will be less dancing in the streets and parades; and there will be less social media posts bringing awareness to issues within the LGBTQ+ community.
June can’t be the only month we celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and focus on queer liberation.
Heterosexism, a system of attitudes, bias, and discrimination in favor of female–male sexuality and relationships, exists in subtle ways. While many people say, “I’m not homophobic” and that may be true, much of society participates in heterosexism. Heterosexism exists through pictures in a provider’s office or a classroom with pictures of heterosexual couples. It exists in books and movies that only depict heterosexual relationships and cis-gender people.
Examples of heterosexism is asking people about their “mom and dad,” if they have a “boyfriend or girlfriend,” and assuming a person’s gender. Instead, using language asking about a person’s “parents,” if they have a “partner or partners” and stating your pronouns when introducing yourself to someone for their first time to normalize this process.
The way you can celebrate LGBTQ+ pride and the community year round is by fighting these norms on a daily basis. Challenging your assumptions about how relationships or genders should exist, and instead thinking of how to use inclusive language and celebrate sexualities and genders outside of the binaries that exist.
So Happy LGBTQ+ Pride Month- don’t let it end on June 30th.
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