8 Ways to Support the LGBTQIA+ Community During Pride Month and Beyond

Each June we spend time celebrating and honoring the LGBTQIA+ community, but that doesn’t mean the support should stop after Pride month. Yes, attending the parades and parties is great, but when there is an alarming rate of anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation, violence against the trans community (especially Black trans women) and youth homelessness, it’s crucial now more than ever to show up as an ally or member of the community. So, whether you’re donating to a non-profit organization or educating yourself on queer issues, here are seven ways to support the LGBTQIA+ community now and forever.

1. Donate

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2. Raise Awareness
Use your platform to speak out on LGBTQIA+ issues and share resources. Social media is the prime spot for sharing and reposting information on everything from policies to organizations. It’s also a great tool to amplify voices within the community. Let your followers hear straight from the source who identifies as a member of the community and who’s connected closely to the cause. Just remember that raising awareness doesn’t mean pressuring others to share your stories or engage with your post (because there’s a huge difference between allyship and performative allyship).

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6. Create a Safe Space
There should be no room for discrimination and/or harassment based on your gender or sexual orientation in any environment. If you’re straight, use your privilege to demand inclusive changes, speak out against wrongdoings and overall be a support system when needed. In a workplace setting, it can be as simple as introducing resource groups for LGBTQIA+ employees, advocating for gender-free restrooms or even adding your pronouns to your email signature. At home, it can mean dismantling gender stereotypes, using a “safe folder” that protects your child’s gender identity or learning how to be there for someone that just came out. At the end of the day, you want to offer a safe space where people are able to be 100 percent themselves.

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Let me say, also, RESPECTING a safe space. Too often, I and others in this community, have seen our safe space, THIS GROUP, violated. Sometimes, it is by well-meaning people, but it is usually by those who either don't realize they are posting here or just don't care. There is a difference in discussing an issue, debating an issue, and brow-beating an issue. It is important to understand the differences.