This is part 1 in a short blog series about LGBTQ histories and experiences in different countries.
Source: Legato Photography [1]
By Dr. Becki Cohn-Vargas
On June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to make it legal for all Americans, no matter their gender or sexual orientation, to marry the people they love. In remarks in the Rose Garden, President Obama welcomed the decision [2], saying. “When all Americans are treated as equal, we are all more free.” Acknowledging statistics from a Pew Opinion poll that shows 57 percent of Americans support same sex marriage, the president added that the decision “affirms what millions of Americans already believe in their hearts.”
Similarly, earlier this year voters in Ireland [3] were asked whether to add to the Constitution that "marriage may be contracted in accordance with law by two persons without distinction as to their sex. The proposal was supported by the Government as well as all major political parties, and was approved by 62.07 percent of voters." The winds of change are blowing as hundreds of thousands of people in communities across the world celebrate Gay Pride.
Gay Pride is a powerful, community event that shines a light on the LGBTQ community. It just may be that this event has done more than any single event to raise awareness and build community for LGBTQ people and their allies. In honor of the U.S. Supreme Court Decision and this year’s Pride Month, Not In Our School is launching a blog series about LGBTQ histories and experiences in different countries.
This blog series is written by LGBTQ upstanders (an upstander is someone who speaks up and stands up for themselves and others [4]) from different countries sharing stories and information about gay life and experiences. We will conclude the series with two blogs that zoom out and take an international snapshot, including efforts to improve LGBTQ rights and education. The final blog highlights how, in our globalized world, people have joined together with petitions, boycotts, and other creative actions that are having success in improving conditions for gender and sexual diversity.
These personal stories provide inspiration for those who are seeking inclusion and diversity in their communities, whether it's what to say to “that's so gay” [5] or standing together in the wake of violence [6].