Pride Month Is About Unapologetically Owning Who You Are

By José Ignacio Gaona, National Policy and Advocacy Manager for HECHO. 

The very first pride was a riot against the persecution of LGBTQ+ individuals. We've come a long way since the Stonewall riots of 1969, yet it wasn't until 2003 that homosexuality was finally legalized nationwide.   

It can be hard to find a sense of place in a country that didn't legalize your sexual orientation until twenty years ago and just secured your right to marry last year in the wake of renewed threats by a conservative Supreme Court to overturn that right.   

I am lucky to say that I feel a sense of place and belonging in my work. The strong support of my colleagues at HECHO and the LGBTQ+ representation that spans beyond my identity is welcoming and inspiring. Our team is a small yet mighty force in conservation advocacy, and I do not think that is a coincidence given our unique identities and diverse perspectives, which are assets in our work.  

Pride Month is about unapologetically owning who you are in the face of ignorance and persecution. Our conservation work also calls us to own who we are as stewards of our shared lands and waters. This pride month, I celebrate the intersectional space that HECHO holds for me as an LGBTQ+ person to help lead the conservation movement forward while being my authentic and full self.   

I also celebrate a dream of elevating LGBTQ+ Latinx voices as a valuable and core part of American society. This month I will be hosting the very first national Latinx Pride Month Celebration held to honor and celebrate the Latinx LGBTQ community at the start of Pride Month. At the Kennedy Center, one of the most iconic homes to Americana, this reception will commemorate the place and value Latinx LGBTQ+ identifying people and our allies have in the United States as we face renewed attacks on our right to self-expression and equal protections under the law.   

We've come a long way, and while it can be challenging to continue to push forward, space for us is growing, and that should inspire all of us to keep moving forward toward equality.