June is known as Pride Month, and I fully support having a month dedicated to our LGBTQIA+ friends, family, neighbors, etc. However, I would like to extend my allyship and acceptance to those of you out there who are members of the LGBTQIA+ community or who are still figuring it all out. You are safe with me, every day of every month, always.
Each of us should feel safe to be our authentic selves without fear of judgment, persecution or hate. I have friends and family who are members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and who they are is important to me. There is no harm in showing support, care and compassion for this community.
she/hers
It bothers me on such a deep level when I hear people get their knickers in a twist when I share my pronouns, she/hers. I’m sharing them so that others around me feel comfortable to share their own. So, for those offended by this, please help me understand why pronouns bother you? Would you look at me differently if my pronouns were they/them? Why? Does it harm you in some way? Is your life in danger if I change my pronouns? No. It’s not.
To oversimplify things, I think about the gender roles society has placed on really dumb things like…clothing. If my daughter wants to wear a button down shirt with a tie for a school picture, she should feel comfortable to do so. She has my full support to dress in whatever clothes she feels comfortable in. She’s not going to find a tie in a girl’s clothing section. When she asks about shopping in the “boys’ section” I tell her that clothes are clothes, if she likes it and feels good wearing it then I support that. She can dress however she feels comfortable to dress. Wearing a tie should not be assigned to gender. Do you know what I mean? Again, I know this is a very basic oversimplification.
We live in a society that makes people feel like they are doing something wrong when they do something that isn’t considered a societal norm. If we encouraged people to be who they want to be and we didn’t judge them based on what makes us feel comfortable, then we’d be golden. I don’t want my kids waking up in the day, looking in the mirror and saying, “Well, I hope I make everyone else happy today.” No.
safety and mental health
Accepting people, including people, and creating an environment where all people feel welcome is good; it’s the right thing to do.
Imagine if we created a society where all people felt comfortable going out into the world and just being who they are. The gender or sexual orientation that someone identifies with is a critical piece of that person. When they are treated disrespectfully or told they are wrong for expressing themselves, that severely impacts their mental health. Think about the mental health issues that exist in our society right now. Our mental, emotional, and brain health is critical to our well-being and to the well-being of those around us. If we actively accept each other, it would go a very long way to living in a happier, healthier world.
If you do not understand something then ask respectful questions. No one is trying to rub their ideas off on anyone else, they just want to be treated fairly and to feel safe. When did we decide it was more important to bicker about pronouns than to treat others with respect and decency?
allyship
I am an ally. I am an advocate. If there is a way that I can better support members of the LGBTQIA+ community, please let me know.
So, as we come to the end of Pride Month, please know that every day of the year, you are safe with me. I welcome you just as you are—authentically, beautifully YOU.
And since I originally started this blog as a website to review music, I’m going to start adding music to all my posts!
Here’s one for all of you. “Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels” by the amazing Todrick Hall.
Lyrics snippet from Todrick Hall:
Girl, what did that girl just say, girl?
I don’t dance, I work
I don’t play, I slay
I don’t walk, I strut and then sashay
