In Celebration of National LGBT Pride Month
In Celebration of National LGBT Pride Month
June marks National LGBT Pride Month, which is celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City. In June of 1969, patrons and supporters of the Stonewall Inn staged an uprising to resist the police harassment and persecution to which LGBT Americans were commonly subjected. This uprising marked the beginning of a movement to outlaw discriminatory laws and practices against LGBT Americans. Today, LGBT Pride Month celebrations include pride parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia and concerts, and these events attract millions of participants around the world. Despite the extraordinary progress of the past few years, LGBT Americans still face discrimination simply for being who they are. According to the True Colors Fund, "40% of youth experiencing homelessness identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. Considering that LGBT youth represent an estimated 7% of the total youth population, these numbers are disproportionately high. While even a single young person without a home is one too many, the disparity of LGBT youth experiencing homelessness is unfathomable." According to the True Colors Fund, family conflict is the most common cause of all youth homelessness. Additionally, in a recent survey, True Colors Fund fount that 99% of all service providers surveyed reported working with LGBTQ youth. The work that True Colors Fund (and many other organizations) do is very important to ending youth homelessness, and it is important that we support their work in any way that we can. If you're interested in doing more to help end discrimination and homelessness among LGBTQ youth, here are some ways that you can help:
- Join the 40 to None Network
- Follow these LGBT activists on Twitter to amplify their voices
- Learn more about organizations working to end discrimination and homelessness among LGBTQ youth, such as NEST
- Support an organization working towards solving these issues, like the True Color Fund
To learn more about National LGBT Pride Month, click here.
