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Weekly Full Policy Report - 6/7
- atenmorin0
- 7 days ago
- 4 min read
The First Pride Was a Riot. What about the rest?
INTRO
During Pride Month, we’re often reminded that the first Pride was a riot. The Stonewall Riots of 1969 were a flashpoint for gay liberation and in the United States. The first LGBTQ Prides were held in major cities like New York, Chicago, and San Francisco to commemorate the 3-day riot that took place the year before at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar that was repeatedly raided by police and entrapping several patrons.
These first Prides were not festivals with mainstage acts and corporate sponsors. There were no big rainbow floats and police escorts for a parade. These were marches. Queer people took to the streets (without permits, mind you) and demanded liberation from discrimination. They demanded equality. They demanded recognition.
These OG Pride marches would evolve into organizing mechanisms to demand recognition that queer people were joyful people living full lives. This was a challenge in the face of the Christian Coalition and their ongoing misinformation campaigns and dangerous statewide ballot measures - sound familiar?
Pride has evolved as our sense of ourselves as queer people has evolved and reflecting on history through a queer gaze can light the way to freedom. Battling ballot initiatives, advocating for inclusive policy, and educating our communities by coming out. Being queer has always meant we were our own advocates - we needed to be - to simply navigate the world.
Our path to collective freedom as queer people is to advocate. Educate yourself to become an advocate. Advocate where you’re at and who you can impact. Advocate loudly and boldly. Advocate with your whole community, not just your friends.
In times when leaders and policy seek to normalize the marginalization and criminalization of us, we must meet this moment with advocacy by showing up, correcting disinformation, and urging inclusion as the best possible solution.
Pride is still a protest. Proceed accordingly.
LEG UPDATE
Arizona legislators continue to enjoy their extended break - working only one day this week. Apparently, this will continue until morale improves or until June 16 when they will allegedly turn to budget matters. While there is the June 30 deadline to pass a budget, they are working on an accelerated timeline given that Rep. Matt Gress is leaving for his wedding in Italy (and some other House members are tagging along); all this to say they are doing everything but the budget.
SCHOOL BOARD
We may think Summer Break means school boards are out, too. That may not be the case for many who are working overtime to ensure the marginalization of LGBTQ+ students is a clear marker of the Board’s success.
For example, the Yuma Union High School Governing Board is continuing with their Accuracy in Student Records policy that make changing one’s records to accurately reflect reality can incur a multi-tier process involving several decision makers and outside counsel during their June 11 meeting.
The impact of this multi-tiered policy is that for LGBTQ+ students, particularly trans and nonbinary students, inaccurate or incongruent student records would force them to use facilities of their gender at birth. This includes chosen name and pronoun use, access to bathrooms and locker rooms, and participation in school activities like sports.
If you would like to voice your opinion, please contact the Yuma Union High School Governing Board and remind them that transgender students belong in school.
ACTION
Make the Pride Flag an officially recognized flag in your Arizona city or town!
Idaho passed a flag ban law very similar to HB 2113, but after flying the Pride flag for the past 10 years at Boise City Hall, the City Council voted to recognize the Pride flag as an official flag to be flown on official days and holidays. Salt Lake City, Utah, recently did the same. Missoula, MT just became the next city to officially recognize the Pride Flag in protest to recent bans.
Arizona can follow suit! Cities like yours can pass a resolution that acknowledges the uniqueness of the LGBTQ+ community and that recognizes that some nefarious players want to play politics with the wellbeing of marginalized communities. Inclusion matters.
Reach out to Education Action Alliance for additional resources and support!
CIVIC LITERACY
Civic engagement is key to the work Education Action Alliance does. Everything from educating community members/potential voters, to asking folks to register to vote to reminding community members to attend upcoming school board meetings. Civic engagement touches everyone who lives in a school community (i.e. all of us!) and our participation is vital to sustain
ing democracy.
Tolstoy said that the wicked become worse when they are tolerated. Curious and engaged community members are critical in engaging decision makers and holding them accountable. Be curious. Get engaged locally. Hold leaders accountable. Be part of community solutions.
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