Happy Pride Month! It’s been a couple of years since celebrations could truly be in person for Pride Month to recognize the contributions and lives of our LGBTQIA+ friends, family, and community members. That isn’t to say the considerations for COVID-19 aren’t still important. They most certainly are! But now there are opportunities to get out into the community in ways that weren’t available during 2020 and 2021.
Places and spaces that had closed during the pandemic are starting to open up again. And that’s important. For so many in the LGBTQIA+ community, Pride parades, festivals, and events can be a great time to see the reach and amount of community that exists in one’s own area. In addition, it is a chance for people from all walks of life to spread love, kindness, and acceptance in their neighborhoods and cities.
For 2022—the year where our pandemic “new normal” started to set in—I hope we see a return to the celebrations and charm that comes with every Pride event. I hope that both young and old get to see cities across America once again get out to show their support and to plain-just-have-a-good-time!
If, like me, you’d like a few suggestions on how you can show your Pride spirit, there’s plenty of options. You don’t have to attend an in-person or even virtual event. Nowadays, there’s so many ways to participate:
- Support LGBTQIA+ art. It’s as easy as checking out the Pride section on Netflix or Amazon
- Read a classic book that shows life from an LGBTQIA+ perspective.
- Find out if your company has a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) group like the one we have at Floyd Lee Locums. See if they have anything planned or suggestions on how you can celebrate.
You can also search your local city’s website to see activities they have planned. If they’re like us in Charleston, South Carolina, I’m sure there’s a bevy of things scheduled for individuals and families of all ages. I encourage everyone to check them out!
Happy Pride everyone!