Pride – a feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one’s own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired.
This is the definition of pride.
For me, pride has meant deep admiration of my queer brothers and sisters, for the resilience I’ve seen in the face of so much adversity, hatred and pain.
Pride has meant, the celebration of all the sparkles, glitters and rainbows, that march down Oxford St during Mardi Gras in February, here in Australia each year.
Pride has been the moments of quiet where a friend has confided in me about their experience and felt comfortable enough and safe enough to share, what an honour.
For me, pride is just hanging out with my queer friends who love each other and merrily seeing them stroll down the road, hand-in-hand.
Pride is tears shed when things just feel f**ked, like the discussion of which bathrooms trans people should or shouldn’t use, or the idea that other people get to vote on what is right or wrong about another person’s sexuality… or the idea some people think that being queer is a ‘choice.’
One day, my hope is that young people don’t have to ‘come out.’ That they can just bring home a person they love to their family and friends and say, this is my partner… no one thinks anything but, how amazing it is to meet the person you love and that’s lucky enough to be your partner.
My hope is that in no country, we discuss the legalities of marriage equality but rather, anyone can marry the person they love. Or that, in no country do we punish people for who they love or how they feel about their gender.
My hope is that couples are not stopped from having children and raising their children based on their sexual preference. Doesn’t that sound so stupid? How is it possible that today, in the 21st century only 27 countries allow adoption for same-sex couples.
My hope is that pride is a celebration of all that has been achieved, the blood, sweat and tears of the incredible rainbow community, my LGBTQIA+ brothers and sisters. I hope that one day you feel completely seen, heard and loved for every part of who you are.
Here are some of the incredible leaders that inspire me within the LGBTQIA+ community:
| Laverne Cox |
| (She/her) |
| An artist and an advocate with an empowering message of moving beyond gender expectations to live more authentically.ย She was the first openly trans woman to be nominated for an Emmy.ย |
| Elliot Page |
| (He/him) |
| An advocate and leader for LGBTQIA+ rights as well as a kick-arse actor who has graced our screens sharing so much talent with the world. From Juno, to Inception and The Umbrella Academy. In 2014 Page, gave a powerful coming out speech at theย Humanย Rights Campaign Conferenceย and in December 2020ย coming out as Trans.ย |
| Asiel Adan Sanchez |
| (They/them) |
| Asiel is a non-binary doctor, writer and advocate. They are part ofย theย Minus18 Crewย whilst still in medical school and have been a member of the Board of Directors since 2016. They are a member of the Access and Inclusion Committee and work across a broad range of intersections within the LGBTIQ community in Australia. |
| Bertie Tipungwuti |
| Sistergirl, and one of the powerful leaders for the organisationย Black Rainbow.ย Black Rainbow is a national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,ย Transgender, Intersex, Queer, Sistergirl and Brotherboy (LGBQTI+SB) organisation in theย pursuit of positive health and wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Lesbianย LGBQTI+SB*. |
Do you have a story to tell? Maybe about Pride month, what it’s meant for you. Maybe about your life and experiences as part of the LGBTQIA+ community. If you’re open to sharing with us and sharing your story on the Good Empire platforms, we’d love to hear from you.