What If Every Month Was Pride Month?

By: T S Venkat Narayanan

One of the most common issues people around me have raised is –

“Why do we have to treat them special in the month of June? What even is the purpose of pride month? Isn’t it just another way for corporations and clubs to increase their profits/appeal?”

Okay, so first- pride month is celebrated to commemorate the Stonewall riots, which took place in the June of 1969.

Second, yes! It sure is a way for corporations to appear more ‘woke’ and youth-friendly.

Now, the most important question- 

“Why do we have to treat them special in the month of June?”

Well, pride isn’t about treating the people from the community in a special manner. It is more about treating them with respect (like we would treat other humans with), acknowledging their struggle and making them feel part of society instead of an outcast.

In this piece we shall look at how it would be if every month were to be pride month.

Now, with every month being pride month, the significance of pride month would obviously reduce.

“Ohh, how angry it would have all the gays with the spotlight off them for good.”

Ironically, this would instead make the community even happier as it would make more people aware and sympathetic of their struggle. 

It would also normalize their existence in the society.

What would this mean?

People would stare less at them, make them feel less uncomfortable. Companies and organizations would stop using them as a prop like they do in the month of June just to be discarded once the month is over.

Violence and crime against them would reduce in numbers, the members of the community would feel more empowered which would lead to them being more accepted in society, having better healthcare which would cater to their needs. 

Now, wouldn’t that be just nice?

Be An Ally To The Trans Community

By: Devla Pandey

Happy Pride Month! 

This article will be focused on awareness about the ‘T’ in ‘LGBTQIA’ which stands for Transgender. 

The first step involved to be an ally to the trans community is to be aware of some facts and definitions. The word ‘Transgender’ is an adjective denoting or relating to a person whose sense of gender identity does not correspond with the sex they were assigned at birth. Gender identity is the internal sense of being male, female, or something else, for trans people does not match their birth sex. A transgender woman was labelled as male at birth but has the gender identity of a female. A transgender man was assigned female sex at birth but identifies as male. Some transgender people don’t identify with one gender exclusively or no gender at all. These transgender people are often described as being “non-binary.” Another term that is sometimes used to describe people in this category is “genderqueer.” The opposite of transgender is cisgender, people who identify as cis conform to their sex at birth. 

Another important piece of information is that gender identity is not the same as sexual orientation. The latter term is used to describe a person’s innate preference for romantic or sexual relationships with men, women, or both sexes. Heterosexual/straight people are attracted to members of the opposite sex. Homosexual people (gays and lesbians) are attracted to people of the same sex. Bisexual people are attracted to both men and women. Transgender people may be straight, gay or lesbian, or bisexual. The flag that represents the transgender community was designed by American trans woman Monica Helms. It is a light blue, pink and white pent-colour pride flag. 

Secondly, we must acknowledge their struggles. Being a marginalised community, they’ve been oppressed and discriminated against for the majority of recorded history. Trans people are denied equal access to key social goods, such as employment, health care, education and housing. They’re marginalized in society and one of the weaker sections who are at risk of becoming socially excluded. Daily experiences such as not having separate toilet facilities; they have to use male toilets where they are prone to sexual assault and harassment and having to fill up application forms that use sex and gender interchangeably. The exclusion and discrimination have extremely affected the mental health of transgender persons. Stigmatization of gender-nonconforming and transgender children and youth is amplified in the educational system, which mirrors the rest of society in reinforcing strictly binary and patriarchal gender norms. Transphobia exists, which causes a lot of distress to trans people. Transphobia manifests itself in different forms, for example, physical attacks, discrimination in the workplace and negative media representation. Apart from it all, trans people also deal with gender dysphoria in many cases. It is a condition that causes distress and discomfort when the gender you identify with conflicts with the sex that you were assigned at birth. 

Lastly, we should express our openness and acceptance. The majorities of Transgender people learn to cope, particularly when they have the support of family and friends, and participate in Transgender organizations and social networks. Thus it is crucial to vocally support and fight alongside them against the discrimination they face. Normalise introducing yourself with your pronouns and not make assumptions about others’ pronouns. Be respectful and mindful of phrases or terms that are gendered. Also, consider donating to organizations that support and aid transgender people. Wish them a happy pride month, with a gentle smile!