As we honor this year’s National Coming Out Day, October 11th, let us not forget what it has taken for us to come this far.
In 1966 there was the Compton Cafeteria Riots. Transgender women stood up against police brutality and discrimination in the San Francisco Tenderloin District. Today, the Tenderloin District is home to the first and only legally recognized transgender district in the world.
In 1969, while people were sharing love in the countryside of New York, down in the city the Stonewall Riots were happening. LGBT people were fighting the police for their lives, respect, and dignity. The nation caught on, sparking liberty marches that have led to the PRIDE Day parades we celebrate today.
In 1975 Minneapolis was the only city to pass a law that protected transgender people from discrimination. Today there are over 200 cities with the same expansive protections!
And it wasn’t until 2015 that the nation’s highest court ruled that same sex marriage IS marriage. We have also seen more out lgbtq people appointed and elected to office. We are accepting batches of neopronouns every two years. And there are roughly 30 different PRIDE flags. “Representation Matters” has been front and center over the past 6 years.
These accomplishments do not come without challenges and pushbacks. Congress still has NOT passed any federal laws protecting lgbtq people from being discriminated against.
Black gay men and black transgender women whom have sex with men are still in the highest risk group for HIV. Many states still do not have Hate Crime laws that include lgbtq people. And not all law enforcement agencies report crimes against lgbtq persons. In Georgia we currently have four anti-transgender bills waiting to be voted on in the general assembly…….We Have a Lot More to Do!
And this is why Georgia Equality exists, so we can advocate for those who are out AND to make sure our state is a fair-minded place to live for those that want to come out.
Chanel Haley
Georiga Equality: Gender Policy Manager
“She, Her, Hers”