“Rise Up” was the theme of this year’s Pride Parade in New York City – a sad throwback connoting the fact that once again, in Trump’s America, millions of people have to fight for their equal rights and right to live their true lives
Governor Kathy Hochul was assertive in her remarks to press as the parade got under way, declaring, “the birthplace of the LGBTQ+ movement is in our city, our state, and this is a huge point of pride for us.
“Especially now more than ever, when a community that we cherish is under siege from Washington, Republicans in Washington who are trying to strip away their rights and their dignity and their ability to serve – in harm’s way in our military. My God, just like they fought during the Stonewall riots in 1969, they fought back and they won. We will always fight back and defend this community. We’re in this together, let’s continue fighting together and we’ll be victorious.”
Governor Hochul announced the state is contributing $15 million–the largest fund of its kind in the nation–to the Lorena Borjas Transgender and Non-Binary Wellness and Equity Fund, “because we’re putting our money where our mouth is to make sure people have access to the care they need and deserve, number one.”
In addition, the state is providing a new million dollar source of funding for the LGBTQ Center here in New York City and almost a million dollars in workforce development grants to help trans members get jobs.
Indeed, what a change in only six months from when Joe Biden, the man who got marriage equality ball rolling as Obama’s Vice President (the SCOTUS decision, ironically, exactly 10years ago), and from all that Biden-Harris did in his all-too-short four years of whole-of-government focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, summed up as a “Justice Agenda.”
In just 150 days, Trump has all but dismantled 150 years of civil and human rights progress, the animous to gender equity being a special focus of the anti-democracy attack, waging a culture war intended to reverse a generational sea change in empathy, understanding and acceptance.
Trump is doing nothing to recognize Pride month and instead working overtime to eradicate rights and legalize discrimination under the guise of “religious” rights and/or “EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS,” as his executive order barring transgender females in sports was titled. (See: Overview of President Trump’s Executive Actions Impacting LGBTQ+ Health)
In dramatic and disgusting contrast to Biden’s policies, Trump has:
Defining sex as a biological binary: A central theme of the Trump administration’s approach has been defining “sex” as limited to biological male or female, as determined at conception.
Targeting “gender ideology” and DEI initiatives – not just rescinding prior executive orders promoting LGBTQ+ equity and diversity and inclusion, but rendering such programs illegal and subject to prosecution. In addition, Trump has cut, frozen, or clawed back federal funding for DEI programs.
Restricting gender-affirming care: especially for young people (one of the executive orders that the Imperial Supremes have blessed). This includes directing agencies to assess grant conditions and ensure federal funds do not promote “gender ideology”, potentially affecting funding for institutions that provide or support gender-affirming care. There have also been legal challenges to these policies, with some courts issuing preliminary injunctions blocking parts of their enforcement.
Allowing schools to dismiss Title IX complaints based on stricter standards regarding “severity” and “pervasiveness” of an alleged assault or harassment and imposes the burden of potentially traumatic investigation and hearing processes on survivors.
Limiting access to reproductive healthcare.
Weakening workplace protections: Trump rescinded Executive Order 11246 which for 60 years has prohibited discrimination based on sex, race, and religion by federal contractors for sixty years.
Impact on LGBTQ+ individuals in the military and federal prison: The administration reinstated the ban on transgender people serving openly in the military. In federal prisons, policies were implemented to house transgender women according to their sex assigned at birth and to prohibit the use of federal funds for gender-affirming care. This contradicts the Prison Rape Elimination Act, which mandates housing transgender people based on safety concerns.
And there have been other insults, like stripping Harvey Milk’s name from a destroyer.
With these issues in a background, the 2 million who came to New York City to Celebrate Pride did it with a combination of joy and in-your-face vengeance.
While many companies have yielded to the change in the political winds, other companies participated in the event. Among them: The Walt Disney Company; I Heart Radio; SAG-AFTRA; Directors Guild of Americ;,The Metropolitan Opera; Macy’s Inc; JP Morgan Chase; SUNY; AARP; Girl Scouts of Greater New York; The New York; Foundling; Emblem Health; Kiehl’s; Audible; NYC Health & Hospitals; Starbucks;
Despite the dismal situation outside, there was joy and celebration at this year’s Pride Parade.
The overarching theme: “My sexuality is none of your business.”
And it is important to see and acknowledge who shows up, shows support and who has your back. Here are highlights:
