The month of June is a time of celebration for the LGBTQ+ community, along with acknowledging their rights and culture. Parades, marches, protests, etc. are some of the forms of celebration which mark the onset of Pride Month. It is a time of resistance and expression of one’s identity, which is not limited by social expectations.
History of the Pride Month:
On June 28, 1969, the police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar and a recreational tavern, in New York City. The members of the gay community fought back against the police who turned violent. This was the beginning of the resistance against the social and political institutes which keep the gender roles in check through unfair means of policing. The Stonewall uprising will further be associated with the LGBTQ+ community fighting back for their rights.
The Rainbow:
The LGBTQ+ community has recognized the “rainbow” as its official symbol. This is because a rainbow represents a myriad of colors which in turn become representative of the various gender identities. By using a natural symbol, the community is also portraying the presence of many different gender identities in nature. However, social expectations and the propagation of the heteronormative society forces people to treat gender roles, other than the gender binaries, as abnormal.
Gender as a “construct”:
Feminist thinkers and philosophers like Simone de Beauvoir and Judith Butler have deconstructed the role of gender in society. Beauvoir treated gender as a construct when she wrote, “one is not born but rather becomes a woman” in her book The Second Sex.
Judith Butler, on the other hand, brought out the performative status of gender in her book Gender Trouble. After analyzing both philosophers, it has become clear that gender roles are not static. Society creates them to present a superficial heteronormative world.
Gender is independent of its relation with either body or sexual desires. Thus, in honor of Pride Month, one must remember the flexibility of these gender identities. And also acknowledge every person’s individuality.
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