Happy Pride Month!
On June 1, MAELS students engaged in a discussion about the LGBTQ+ community and their ongoing struggles to achieve equity and justice in all aspects of their lives. June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month which commemorates the 1969 Stonewall uprising in New York City. In June of 1969, patrons and supporters of the Stonewall Inn staged a protest to resist the police harassment and persecution commonly experienced by LGBTQ+ Americans.
Being a member of the LGBTQ+ community was illegal since the beginning of American history and LGBTQ+ people were often harassed, fined, jailed or worse just for being their true, authentic selves. The Stonewall uprising in 1969 marked the beginning of the LGBTQ+ rights movement that aims to get rid of laws and practices that discriminate against the LGBTQ+ community.
“Massachusetts was one of the first countries to allow LGBTQ and allowed same gender marriage,” shared MAELS Senior Brandon Chan. “This inspired many other countries and acted like a ripples effect. Many continue to disagree with marriage equality, but lots of people are standing up and are continuing to fight for equality.”
Today, Pride Month celebrations include pride parades, picnics, parties, workshops, etc. that attract millions of participants around the world. You can click to watch a video for more information!
“Pride month is a month dedicated to celebrating equality for people who are part of the LGBTQ community,” voiced MAELS senior Jeremiah Ortiz.
“It celebrates everyone's accomplishment of coming out, and it's a month where we can celebrate them so they all feel accepted,” added 7th grader Gianna Stuart.
Senior Arianna Maolawi notes, “This month celebrates the freedom and rights that the LGBTQ+ community deserve.”
LGBTQ+ is an acronym that stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer. The “plus” at the end of the acronym represents any letter or representations that may be left out from LGBTQ. Over the years, the LGBTQ acronym has evolved to include the many terms that name the spectrum of human sexuality and gender.
Click for a video that gives a more detailed explanation of the acronym. You can also refer to the chart below for more information.
One of the topics covered in the June 1st celebratory lesson was the use of pronouns. Pronouns are how people refer to themselves, such as he or she. Some people prefer they/them or ze/zir when they don’t want their gender specified by the pronouns they use.
“One learning that I took away from this lesson is the importance of using proper pronouns when referring to those around us,” expressed Senior Akash Perrera. “It can set a very different tone in your position and respect towards that person or what they identify as.”
“I never knew how using the wrong pronoun can affect someone’s gender identity and how they view themselves,” says 7th grader Dinuki Mudalige as he reflected on his interactions with others. “I‘ve mistaken someone’s pronouns in the past and I didn't know how much it could’ve hurt that person.”
During the lesson, students learned 4 simple things they can do to honor gender pronouns:
- ASK people what their pronouns are just as you would ask a preferred name (in conversation and in documentation)
- Use that pronoun
- Introduce yourself with your pronoun at the start of meetings, for example
- Include your pronoun in your email signature or in your Zoom profile
“Asking someone their pronouns shows that you respect them and who they are,” added MAELS senior Mikayla Gonzalez.
Many students at MAELS expressed their allyship with the LGBTQ+ community. An ally is someone who supports LGBTQ+ people and equality in its many forms- both publicly and privately. Heterosexual and cisgender people can be allies as well as those within the LGBTQ+ community who support one another’s unique needs and struggles. The key qualities of an ally are a desire to learn and understand, to help LGBTQ people feel supported and included and to address barriers to fairness and justice for everyone.
“It is important to honor each other and honor what we all identify as,” says MAELS senior Riley Parke. “As an ally, I will be making sure my friends and strangers feel welcomed and safe around me.”
“Sometimes the smallest voices can make a big and long-lasting impact on the world,” says senior Catherine Desantis. “If we come together as a whole we can make the biggest changes!”