How to Support LGBTQ Rights

It's June, and as declared by Bill Clinton in 2000, "Gay & Lesbian Pride Month," (expanded by Barack Obama to be Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month) put in place to commemorate the June 1969 Stonewall riots that happened in New York City, specifically in Lower Manhattan. This uprising, which was a resistance towards police harassment and persecution to which LGBTQ Americans were and are commonly subjected to, it marked the beginning of a movement to outlaw discrimination and exclusive regulations towards the community.

1. Support the Equality Act to Make Discrimination Illegal.

Can you believe it’s still legal to discriminate against a person for their sexual orientation or gender identity in more than half of US states? This can make getting a job, securing housing, finding insurance, and other necessary aspects of life immensely harder for LGBT individuals. The Equality Act would fix that by making such discrimination illegal everywhere, as it should be. 78% of voters support these protections. Add your name to the list of Americans calling on Congress to support passing the Equality Act.

2. Put an End to Bullying.

Bullying, of course, can be experienced by anyone, but if you’re an LGBT teen or youth, the statistics get really scary: LGBT youth and teens are twice as likely to experiment with alcohol and drugs and four times more likely to attempt suicide. It should shock and shame all of us that many states and a majority of school districts still have no laws or policies protecting LGBT students. Find out what you can do to help. No one should feel unsafe because their sexual orientation.

3. Stop Anti-LGBT Legislation.

Opposition to LGBT equality remains high in many state legislatures. In 2015, state legislatures introduced over 115 anti-LGBT bills—many with the aim of allowing businesses and agencies to deny services to LGBT individuals on the basis of religion. The rash of recent laws intended to bar transgender people from using the bathroom of their choice is just another example of what we’re up against. In 2020, even though The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that a landmark civil rights law protects gay and transgender workers from workplace discrimination, handing the movement for L.G.B.T. equality a long-sought and unexpected victory, there is still progress to made in terms of elimination discriminatory ideals and ruling out some regulations against them that are in fact still in place today. Check out the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) to view resources on state-by-state protections against discrimination, support the Equality Act, and find out how you can get involved in your own state.

4. Shop at Businesses that Support LGBT Equality.

You can put your dollars where your values are every day. The original HRC Buyer’s Guide was released more than ten years ago with the aim of making it easier to support businesses that have inclusive policies toward their LGBT employees. Take a look at the 2016 Buyer’s Guide and voice your support for LGBT equality with every purchase you make.

5. Pick up the Phone and get Sentimental.

Call a friend, a family member, or a loved one and tell them how much they matter to you. Marriage equality, and the broader issue of LGBT rights, is about everyone’s right to freely and openly and fearlessly express what’s in their heart. So go ahead, get sentimental—tell those you care about that you love them for exactly who they are.

6. Contact your Congressperson and Share Your Thoughts.

Believe it or not, when you call or write your representatives, it really makes a difference. Thank them if they support LGBT rights; challenge them if they don’t. But either way, remind them that there’s a lot of work left to be done.

7. Give a Little. Or A Lot.

Make a donation to your favorite LGBT-rights nonprofit in honor of marriage equality. There are great organizations all over the country that need your help so that they can keep helping others.

We are by no means done, or now ignoring the #blacklivesmatter movement. We are merely expanding our focus, and trying to celebrate the LGBTQ community's progress in rejecting discrimination that has, similar to racism, too long been in place. Keep supporting both movements to support equality.