Written by Jonathan Balash, Spencer Pride’s President and Programming Director
This past weekend, I represented Spencer Pride in Washington, D.C. at WorldPride along with my husband Jacob and five other volunteers. This year’s WorldPride was hosted by Capital Pride Alliance, which celebrated the 50th anniversary of LGBTQ+ Pride in our nation’s capital. WorldPride brought together millions of people in 300+ events over the past month.
We visited D.C. specifically to participate in the WorldPride Parade and the International Rally and March for Freedom. Both events were truly inspirational and energizing. I was honored to attend the events with such passionate and dedicated Spencer Pride volunteers who stepped up when called upon to ensure that our organization could be a part of this moment.
As they say, “Pride is a protest,” and this year it certainly is. While there were fewer rainbows in store windows and on street corners than in recent years, there was a vast sea of vibrant colors in the crowds who came out to support the LGBTQ+ community. I observed so many examples of trans joy and queer resilience, of genuine allyship and inspiring leadership.
Having spent 3.5 days in D.C. and attending 9 different events, I walked away with some things I want to share with you. Here are several things that I personally took away from the experience and feel compelled to share with you.
- The LGBTQ+ community has always existed and always will. There are documented examples of LGBTQ+ people through all of recorded history, regardless of how they may have (or have not) been willing to identify at the time.
- People have been resisting oppression and fighting for equality for a long time. We stand on the shoulders of countless people before us who fought for the rights we have today, from Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera to Bayard Rustin, Harvey Milk, Edith Windsor, and countless more. We must honor them by continuing their legacy. It’s vital that we forge a future of full equality for the LGBTQ+ community.
- We show power through our perseverance, passion, and love. We will continue to do this. It shows the truth in our humanity, and it demonstrates the way we hope that others will treat us. We cannot make permanent progress if we follow the dark, hate-filled methods utilized by those that oppose equality for LGBTQ+ people.
- We will not be silenced; rather, we will continue to speak out and raise our voices in unity for our entire LGBTQ+ community. That includes every letter of our rainbow alphabet and every corner of our globe.
- We will not be erased; rather, the work we do now will be etched into history as the necessary and hard-fought efforts needed to achieve full equality for the LGBTQ+ community.
- We will not be used; rather, we will achieve full equality because it’s the right thing to do and not because it serves to check a box, improve a corporate brand, or be scapegoated by the far right to demonize our community. Remember: allyship is something that must be demonstrated and not something one simply calls themself to impress their friends or boost their followers.
It was clear to me, how we must move forward.
First of all, we must stand together, with our voices raised, our feet on the ground, and our checkbooks out, to do the work needed to defend those most under attack right now (including our transgender and immigrant siblings) and our entire LGBTQ+ community. This is about legal rights as well as basic human rights. It’s about the basics of dignity and respect that we should all be showing one another not because someone has earned it, but because of their humanity. We must lead with love and with an unrelenting commitment.
Additionally, we cannot be distracted by those who want to weaponize our love and to demonize our dignity, nor can we be divided by those who pretend to support part of our community but don’t accept its full diversity. Distraction and division are hollow tools. Instead, we must seek truth, act out of love, and live in our authenticity. Yes, there is a lot of anger and frustration right now, as we’ve seen increased attacks on the LGBTQ+ community and some companies have pulled back from their visible support. While these emotions are warranted (and certainly how I feel as well), we must channel them constructively in order to help those in most need. If we are unable to focus our anger and frustration to make necessary change, then I’d challenge their genuineness.
Ok, Jonathan, you may be thinking. There’s a lot of work to be done, but where should I start?
As one of the rally speakers said so simply: “if you want to help, use your voice, share your platform, and widen your circle.” It doesn’t get more basic than that.
If you want to do more, then I encourage you to support your local LGBTQ+ organization(s). This isn’t an effort you can accomplish alone, nor does it make sense to try given the volume of organizations already invested in doing this work. These organizations – including Spencer Pride – need your help. You can volunteer your time and skills. You can participate in programming and events. You can make a donation in support of the life-saving and life-changing work Spencer Pride and similar organizations are doing to improve their communities.
With your assistance, Spencer Pride will continue supporting and uplifting the LGBTQ+ community, particularly the rural LGBTQ+ folks right here in South Central Indiana.
If you’d like to contribute to Spencer Pride’s work, then I encourage you to take advantage of our limited-time 2-for-1 matching program. That’s right! For every dollar you donate to our rehab project (www.SpencerPride.org/donate), Spencer Pride gets $3 thanks to a generous local donor (up to $100,000). These funds will be used to further (and perhaps finish!) the restoration and renovation of our LGBTQ+ center in downtown Spencer. When completed, the Spencer Pride commUnity center will be able to improve the quality of our existing programs. We will also be able to expand our programming and services, helping to ensure that we can best support the community when it is needed the most.
THIS IS THE MOMENT to do what you can to support our community. We need you.
