Pride

Let us start this journey creatively. Use your imagination to be part of a world where everyone was different from you. Maybe everyone in this world has purple hair, or everyone’s favorite food is only pizzas or maybe they all speak a language you don’t understand. Now imagine not getting accommodation because of your favorite food or not getting a job opportunity because of the natural color of your hair. That sounds difficult, doesn’t it?

Well, this is the reality for millions of humans across the globe.

The month of June, globally is Pride month. Pride month is predominantly celebrated by persons belonging to the LGBTQIA+ community. The abbreviation stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual and + includes the diverse orientations/identities; also, their allies. The community celebrates June as a month of Pride, i.e. to be proud of who you are, despite being marginalized.

It may make you wonder, ‘why June?’. It is to commemorate The Stonewall Riots, which was a turning point in the fight for LGBTQ rights.

However, I hope it also makes you wonder, ‘why just June?’. All of us deserve to be proud of who we are, every single day. The answer to this is a harsh one: non-acceptance.

We, as a species, have forever, feared the acceptance of anything that is different from us. Our insecurities, sometimes, makes us afraid, makes us want to stay away and keep away, from what scares us. This Pride month, we urge you to make an effort to not barricade folks who are the same species. Barricading those from other species is a discussion for another time 😊

Different does not mean danger, different is just that, different. The day, there is no need to celebrate a Pride month, is when we would have achieved true acceptance and, equality in acceptance.

Below are some tips for us to be inclusive:

1. Research: If we do not know about a certain topic, the basic thing we can do is research about it. A really good place to start is by understanding that sex and gender, are different. Sex is what is ascribed to us at birth and gender is how we identify. To understand orientation, remember that, gender orientation is how we identify and sexual orientation is who we are attracted to

2. Curiosity: When we meet someone different from us, it is recommended to show healthy curiosity. To ask questions such as, ‘can you explain what you just said to me? I am unaware’, ‘Do you mind if I ask you a few questions about who you are? so that I can better understand’; shows maturity and acceptance.

3. Tweak: Change has always been a big deal for us. However, a question to ask yourself before you accommodate a change is – ‘Will I be losing something if I do this?’. If the answer is no, then, why not? If it takes a gesture as small as using different pronouns or taking more time to understand, makes another of our kind, happy, why not?

Always remember to Accept, Ask and Accommodate

Happy Pride 2025

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