Protest Is Democracy. Resistance Is Pride.

Pride month isn't officially for another couple of months, but another kind of pride event is taking place this month on March 28th for a No Kings Protest.

Advocacy and protest have always been central to queer culture. Pride did not start as a party. It started as resistance. Our history is full of moments where queer and marginalized people stood up, pushed back, and refused to disappear, even when the cost was high.

Gathering in public, demanding safety, and insisting on dignity have always been acts of courage for our community. You can see that legacy in the long arc of uprising and resistance that shaped modern LGBTQ+ rights:

1955- Pepper Hill Club Raid

1959- Cooper Do-nuts Riot

1961- Black Nite Brawl

1966- Compton's Cafeteria Riot

1967- Black Cat Tavern

1969- Stonewall Riots

1979- White Night Riots

These moments were not isolated flashes of anger. They were collective queer and marginalized declarations that we deserve to exist openly and fully. That spirit persists in you, me, and every other queer person today.

The rights we have were fought for, but we are seeing them being challenged and taken away. It is our right and responsibility to carry forward the legacy of queer icons like Marsha "Pay it No Mind" Johnson to advocate, to organize, to protest, and to fight for our right to exist. Pride month isn't officially for another couple of months, but I'll be celebrating Pride and No Kings this weekend.

Protest is Democracy.

Resistance is Pride.