P is for Personal safety. Pride is an important time for many of us to come together and feel a sense of belonging. Increasingly, many of us do not feel safe in our state or town. For members of the LGBT community the sheer number of "ANTI" laws being advanced in the US and around the world is terrifying. While PRIDE is a celebration it is also a time for visibility and action. If you are an ally, please vote and speak out against anti-LGBT and anti-trans bills.
R is for Rights. As noted above, there is a concerted effort to strip fundamental rights from many groups, not only the LGBT community. Until we all have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and the right to bodily autonomy, we will continue to need PRIDE.
I is for Individuality. PRIDE continues to be inspiring to me. There, I see many different people coming together, respecting and celebrating each other's differences, and lifting each other up.
D is for Diversity. Different perspectives, different lived experiences, different hopes and dreams, different approaches to problems can and should coexist in a healthy society. The world is big enough for all of us.
E is for Everywhere. PRIDE helps to remind us that the world is made up of a rich tapestry of people and we all belong here. We all have unique skills and talents and strengths. We all have inherent worth and value. Nothing good comes from one group oppressing another whether out of fear or hate or indifference. Different isn't bad. It enriches all of us.
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