LGBT elders and their allies reflect on their place in LGBT history and how the fight against injustice continues
SAGE, the world's largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBT elders, announced its Pride in Place campaign to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first Pride marches in the country, which took place one year after the Stonewall uprising. In the week leading up to this anniversary, Pride in Place will use virtual storytelling and community building opportunities to showcase how the most significant moments of LGBT history were led with the same resilience, strength, and knowledge that is currently leading protests against hate, violence and systemic racism. Similarly to recent protests, the first Pride marches opposed police violence, called for liberation for communities, and were bravely led by people of color. Pride in Place is a way for LGBT pioneers and their allies to honor the defiance and resilience that were driving forces at historical protests like Stonewall, the spirit of which is still alive today.
Price in Place serves as a platform for SAGE’s fierce LGBT elders who participated in the Stonewall uprising and similar activism in other parts of the country to amplify the very core of Pride Month – by honoring the leaders who have been fighting on the front lines for decades, the progress their passionate efforts have achieved over the years, and the work that is still being done today to combat injustice in the LGBT community. Many of the original Stonewall veterans were transgender and gender nonconforming people of color, who worked tirelessly to own their place in the LGBT movement.
Pride in Place affirms that these leaders and their allies will continue to show up for justice and make their voices heard against all odds. With the same vigor that sparked the modern movement for LGBT equality and justice, Pride in Place lifts up these voices and recalls the moments in LGBT history that are just as relevant today, centering the voices of black voices, people of color voices, and the voices of all marginalized people.
“As we celebrate Pride and the decades of struggle of our LGBT elder pioneers, it’s important to remember how Stonewall and Black Lives Matter and other struggles for equity and justice are fundamentally linked,” said SAGE CEO Michael Adams. “We’re able to celebrate Pride because black and brown TGNC folks were on the front lines opposing police brutality against our community 50 years ago. The same fight still exists today, and Pride in Place is dedicated to those who have been speaking out against, and overcoming, injustice for decades.”
Community support is essential for continuing the work our LGBT pioneers started at Stonewall, which is why SAGE is grateful to be one of the beneficiaries of Procter & Gamble and iHeartMedia’s live fundraising event Can’t Cancel Pride, which will be broadcast June 25 at 9:00 p.m. EST. SAGE is also providing resources for fellow LGBT organizations, long-term care facilities, and all supporters to provide quality, age-friendly virtual Pride experiences for LGBT elders across the country to honor their community.
To learn more about SAGE's upcoming Pride events, visit sageusa.org/prideinplace.
