Through increasingly fraught political times, we are often reminded each June of an important fact: the first Pride parade was a protest. The modern gay rights movement is generally credited to the Stonewall riots, which occurred in New York City in June 1969. Despite shifting social norms and acceptance for queer people, we have still remained marginalized and at the mercy of politicians who may not always have our best interests at heart. There are a myriad of reminders of this that circulate on social media during this time of year, such as how Pride Month is still important, as there is likely someone somewhere believing they’re better off dead than being queer, or the fact that it is still illegal to be openly queer in 64 countries worldwide.
As much as the queer rights movement has advanced in many positive ways that have brought us literary juggernauts like
English (US)