The first Pride was a riot led by trans women of color at New York City's Stonewall Inn on June 28, 1969. Since then, though the quality of life has improved for some of our queer siblings, there is still much to fight for.
A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found that roughly 45% of Americans believe LGBTQIA+ people are legally protected from discrimination. Not so, and for this and many reasons, SFR holds this space for local queer voices on the eve of Pride's 50th. In these pages, learn about queer spirituality (opposite page) and internalized angst (page 14); meet the next generation of drag artists (page 15), face hard truths (page 16) and consider your language usage carefully (page 17).
Over the coming days, there is of course so much to celebrate, but we must also be mindful and kind. As allies and friends, we must be accomplices in liberation and fighters for freedom and self-determination so that our actions are worthy of our pride.
