June 1, 2023

Strength in Solidarity

Dear CSSW Community,

 

June 28th, 1969, marked the beginning of what we now refer to as the Stonewall Uprising. This rebellion by LGBTQIA+ activists and protesters led to 6 days of conflict with police, and was in direct response to a community that was fed up with being targeted for being themselves. To be clear, this was not the first rebellion our country has witnessed from those who identify as LGBTQIA+, but it is the one that is most strongly identified as the beginning of the LGBTQIA+ movement as we know it today. The incessant battle of having to fight to merely exist remains ever-present – and the recent flood of anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation has made parts of our country even more unsafe, requiring all allies and co-conspirators to stand in solidarity and use their voices to stand up to continued injustice.

 

Which is why this year’s Pride Month Theme, Strength in Solidarity, is so powerful. This year, we are encouraged to honor and celebrate the resilience of the LGBTQIA+ community as they continue to face discrimination and hardship – and even violence. We have the opportunity to reflect on the reality that despite all the hate that is thrown their way, their courage to live out loud and unapologetically is still at the forefront. Our hope, however, is that resilience does not continue to be a necessary attribute for the LGBTQIA+ community and other communities that are pushed to the margins by systemic inequities.

 

This month, let us celebrate and honor our LGBTQIA+ community for all of their contributions to our country. And let us do so boldly.

 

In community,

 

Melissa Begg

Dean & Professor

 

Karma Lowe

Senior Associate Dean for DEI, Enrollment & Community Engagement