A Pride Message from United Dems’ Team Q
Happy Pride from Team Q and United Dems!
This year’s Pride, relegated largely to the virtual world due to coronavirus is a somber one, overshadowed by both the global pandemic, and the national reckoning over systemic racism and police brutality.
And there’s no better time to reflect on the origins of Pride, and what it means for the world we live in now.
The original Pride marches were protest riots rooted in resistance to police brutality and repression committed against the brave trans women of color who led uprisings at Compton’s Cafeteria in San Francisco in 1966, and the Stonewall Inn in New York City in 1969.
We owe a debt of gratitude to these warriors who paved the way for future generations of LGBTQA people to celebrate our identities and live openly and free. We must honor their courage by continuing to protest against police brutality and the repression of our black and brown brothers and sisters and all persecuted communities.
In these turbulent times, the political engagement work of the United Democratic Club and other engaged organizations is more important than ever.
Nationally, the rights of LGBTQ people are under threat. The Trump administration’s callous and reactionary decision to strip nondiscrimination protections from the Affordable Care Act particularly harms the trans community and fuels homophobia and transphobia in healthcare in the midst of a global health crisis.
Closer to home, fallout from the pandemic threatens LBGTQ spaces that have empowered our community to live freely and celebrate who we are.
California is slowly reopening, but many of our small businesses will forever be shuttered. These include historical beacons of the LGBTQ community, like The Stud — San Francisco’s oldest gay bar — which announced its closure two weeks ago. Our city now faces a budget deficit of nearly $2 billion with unemployment at record highs. As Mayor Breed remarked, “We are in for a long hard road…this is going to require a lot of tough choices and creative solutions.”
Now is the time to stay informed and engaged, elect the leadership we trust to help our community recover and rebuild, and ensure that LGBTQA — and all oppressed people — have an equal voice and a seat at the table.
Sincerely,
Team Q
Lou Fischer
Joel Engardio
Cyn Wang
