So far in this programme, I have attended events with the underlying theme of empowerment, such as a human rights forum and a queering academia conference, and there is much more to come. I have learnt so much about queer history and the current affairs affecting the queer community globally. As heavy as it is to hear it talked about, I want to know where rights are being taken away and where progression is being hindered. I am also grateful to hear about the small wins, seeing success stories for myself, and enjoying queer joy and the celebration of this community’s strength, perseverance and hope for the future. We all feel the weight of the endless issues many queer people are forced to face, but it is lighter when we carry it together. Queer joy for many is a necessity to enjoy life while fighting uphill battles, and experiencing losses and trauma that come from homophobia & transphobia (and misogyny, racism & xenophobia that accompanies them). Regardless of some of the commercial motivations (which do NOT define my experience and the many others who feel they need to celebrate and at least acknowledge and bring attention to Pride; while I am aware of pink washing, I will not allow corporations to deter me from enjoying Pride month for what it stands for within the queer community, taking the opportunities for queer-based activism, and holding people & companies accountable all year-round), Pride Month has given these issues platforms to those raising awareness and taking action, and has brought with it visibility incomparable to the rest of the year, and I am thankful for that and the subsequent positive impact. And I welcome reminders of all of these things I need to work on and understand how I can be a better ally. I appreciate the education that will come about each Pride month as long as you are paying attention to the people who are using their voices. I want to work on using my privilege. I want to use my voice and I am trying, and is very much a working progress as I try to balance a lot in my life, but I see the impact others have and I know it’s possible to find it and use it.
It is not lost on me that I am free to express myself, every day of the year. All of these liberties that others do not have an have not had, its not lost on me for a minute.
When you invest yourself in human rights issues, no matter what, it gives you hope. You will acknowledge the horrors you knew about and become informed on the situations you didn’t. It makes you more politically aware; that can never be a bad thing. It makes you want to become more involved in politics. It makes you decide you have to see positive change, no matter how long it takes. It makes you understand the relationships clearer with all human rights issues overlapping; the main issues I research on are those affecting victims/survivors of domestic abuse and LGBTQIA+ people, though I will always take a minute to listen and process everything else I come across. I love how LinkedIn is used to bring attention to many issues and people sharing their experiences.
Pride month is important to me on a personal level because it makes me feel seen and validated, it reminds me every battle I am fighting is worth fighting, there are so many reasons to never give up, I cannot live in peace in a society that is hostile to others, where people live in survival mode everyday because many aspects of society try to keep them down no matter what. I do not feel alone and I want others to not feel alone either. While I do not feel oppressed, to be literal, living my life as a queer person, I do know what it means to feel under constant threat as a survivor of domestic abuse. I reflect on, as discussed in every talk at the events, the countless human rights threats across the planet and in this country, that we must face together, because though I believe one person can make a world of difference, we have so much more capacity for change, and the motivation to keep on fighting against the absolutely tragic human rights violation to exist, because it's something you can't stop addressing, it’s a never-ending fight for all of us. What “they”, whoever the oppressive party is when fighting different battles, want is for us to get too tired to fight. Seeing how many individuals and groups band together publicly for common causes for one month of the year is energising because it sends your brain a message it absorbs; you don’t have to do this alone, the fight will never stop, and we can achieve things that seem impossible together.
There are so many people using the momentum to propel change. Visibility is everything. I have been told just my visibility has been making an impact this month and the words individuals have said to me have been heartfelt words I will not forget, and they have energised me. Yes, we are queer all year round, I hope nothing I have said comes across as disputing that truth, but acceptance and validation change lives for the better, and it allows us to create internal safety for ourselves, to look after ourselves when we are overwhelmed and trying to understand why sometimes the world around us wants us to fail, to not exist or to exist silently and invisibly.
When I held a microphone at an event yesterday, a very small warm-up activity albeit, I felt empowered starting it off saying, “Hi, I’m Gigi, and I am a Bisexual Woman.” That was validating for ME, and I know that visibility makes a difference because it has made a world of difference to me, and I grew up feeling that being queer couldn’t ever be an option for me, but to be in this community and to care about queer people and ourselves, is to care about human rights. That will never not be an option, so I can’t ever stop being vocal about it, I can’t ever be invisible again, and being inspired every day by incredible people leveraging themselves for change, and knowing there is strong support out there to solicit change, I can never accept doing nothing (side notes: breaks and self-care are crucial parts of activism and speaking up and being involved in general).
So, Happy Pride! I for one am happy, and grateful, to be here to celebrate pride. Lastly, shout out to everyone using this month to use their own platform for good. I am grateful for all that you do, and you are making a real difference.
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