Pride 2022 – Celebrating Diversity

Albastru916 posted a photo:

Every June, the LGBTQ+ community celebrates pride month.
It celebrates the fight for equal rights, sparked by the Stonewall riots of June 1969, which is seen as one of the most pivotal moments for the queer rights movement.

Despite the increasing social acceptance of identities under the LGBTQ+ umbrella, our community still faces challenges every day. Homophobia, transphobia, and other acts of anti-LGBTQ+ hate are still common.
Pride demonstrates the progress our community has made, but also continues to show that the fight for equality is not won yet.

Although the commercialisation of the rainbow might only last a month, pride and movements for queer rights last all year round.
Despite the difficulties, it is important to celebrate who we are – our passion; our culture; our identities; our resilience.
As a community, we are “together – proud – bold – undivided – whole”; we are united.

This year round, I wanted to celebrate pride month and my identity again, but in a different way to the last year.
I wanted to tell the world “this is me!” I wanted to show the love I hold for my community, whilst highlighting one of the important aspects of pride – diversity.
In order to do this, I chose to illustrate Brighton & Hove’s pride bus. Anyone who has viewed my profile is not shy to my passion of buses, and that’s where I drew my inspiration of individuality.
I may have common identities in a community, but I still hold unique traits that make me who I am.

This pride month, I ask you to celebrate what makes you… you!
Whether that be your identity – gay, bi, pan, asexual, and so-forth; trans, non-binary, genderqueer, and so-forth – or your interests – photography, art, music, nature – and celebrate who you are.
There’s only one you, and that you is amazing.

Happy pride month to everyone celebrating this year.
You are valid; you are loved.

~ Blue <3 (They / She)

(C) Albastru916