This Thursday, Mondaire visited the Stonewall Inn to commemorate Pride Month. As an LGBTQ+ historymaker himself, it was a powerful occasion for him. Please read on for a history lesson about the events at Stonewall and Mondaire's reflection on the fight for LGBTQ+ liberation.
After you read, please chip in whatever you can to help re-elect Mondaire. We need to keep him in Congress fighting for LGBTQ+ equity.
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John,
I spent Thursday morning with Interior Secretary Deb Haaland at the Stonewall Inn, the New York City gay bar that became the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement and the first-ever national monument honoring LGBTQ+ history in America.
It was particularly moving for me to visit now that I am a member of Congress — something that, until recent years, I never believed possible for me as an openly gay, Black person in America.
In 1960s New York City, it was common for LGBTQ+ folks to be harassed and humiliated in the streets. Moreover, thanks to outdated laws, anyone found to be dressing in a way that wasn’t in alignment with gender norms was subject to arrest — often losing their livelihoods as a result.
Gay bars like the Stonewall Inn were rare safe spaces for queer people in a world where openly living your truth as a queer person was impossible — but they were also subject to violent police raids.
In the early hours of June 28, 1969, police once again raided the Stonewall Inn – but this time, patrons fought back. After living through constant harassment and police violence, the heroic patrons of Stonewall – many of whom were trans and gender-nonconforming people of color – said enough was enough.
The events at Stonewall were revolutionary for LGBTQ+ people. America’s first gay pride parade was held on the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. In the years since then, the LGBTQ+ community has gained more rights and more mainstream acceptance than many ever dreamed possible.
But this fight for LGBTQ+ liberation is far from over. We can't mark Pride without addressing the crisis of violence against trans people in America. According to the Human Rights Council, 2020 was the deadliest year on record for violent murders of transgender or gender non-conforming people, most of whom were Black or Hispanic.
LGBTQ+ people also disproportionately bear the burden of student debt, in part because many families still shun LGBTQ+ children and cut off financial and emotional support they would otherwise extend to a straight, cisgender family member.
Queer people are more likely to lack health insurance – and even with health insurance, trans and gender non-conforming folks are often discriminated against when trying to seek medical care.
It is still legal under federal law to be discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity – and until the filibuster is abolished so the Senate can pass the Equality Act, that will not change.
As the first openly gay, Black member of Congress in history, this fight for LGBTQ+ liberation is personal to me. It impacts every issue we hold dear as progressives. Visiting Stonewall Thursday, I was reminded how much progress has been made, but also how much further we have to go to achieve a world where all LGBTQ+ people can live their truth without fearing for their safety and security.
This Pride Month, let’s celebrate the experiences of those who came before us as we build on their work in our ongoing fight for equality and equity. Together, this movement will continue to make history and further LGBTQ+ liberation – but only if we fight for it together.
Onward,
Mondaire
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