June 3, 2022 at 11:52 a.m.

In Honor of Pride Month

Dear CSSW Community,

Every June we celebrate Pride Month across the country – a time to honor the struggles and strength of LGBTQIA+ communities. In NYC, this year’s theme of “Unapologetically Us” celebrates the resiliency of LGBTQIA+ folx, as many have spent the last year exploring their true selves, sharing their journey with friends, family and strangers alike, and activating to fight against continued intolerance and anti-LGBTQIA+ violence.

Pride Month has always been rooted in resistance and advocacy, while offering all of us an opportunity to celebrate the diversity and resilience of LGBTQIA+ communities. As NYC Pride Executive Director Sandra Pérez recently noted: “Our community has been through tremendous hardships over the past few years. … Compounding these struggles is the onslaught of legislation around the country that directly targets LGBTQIA+ individuals. In spite of these challenges and attacks, we are here to tell the country and the world: we will not be erased. We will stand together to face these attacks on our LGBTQIA+ siblings across the country and around the world. We will continue to love and live our truth and be our full and complete selves — and we are not going to apologize for it.”

As we honor the legacy and accomplishments of LGBTQIA+ folx around the world, let us also reaffirm our commitment to continuing the work of ending bias, discrimination, and violence against members of the LGBTQIA+ communities. And please take the time to celebrate Pride in your local town and city. U.S. News & World Report has compiled a list of the top 15 Pride celebrations across the country. And in the NYC area, there will be myriad opportunities for learning about and honoring our LGBTQIA+ communities.

In community,

Melissa Begg
Dean & Professor

Karma Lowe
Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Community Engagement