We celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride Month in June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan and to recognize the impact LGBTQ+ individuals have had on history. Pride Month is a time to celebrate the LGBTQ+ culture, to support and advocate for queer rights, and a time to remember those who lost their lives to hate crimes and/or HIV/AIDS. For those not a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Pride Month is a time to learn what it means to be an ally and show your support for the LGBTQ+ community.
Student leaders share their Pride Month reflections
“Pride month is a significant way to raise awareness and acceptance for a community of people that should be accepted and celebrated every second of the day, every day of the year. Pride month is important because it offers an opportunity to educate those that may not understand or be aware of their own biases. As a White, Cis-gender woman, I have spent a lot of time educating myself, standing up and being an advocate and an ally for the LGBTQ+ community. I have taken it upon myself, as everyone should, to research terms I did not understand and find safe places to ask questions.
I am still learning what role I can play as an ally and I look forward to continuing my journey. I know I will make mistakes, learn from them, and keep moving forward. For me, Pride month represents a positive and much needed change in our culture. As I drove through a town today on my way to a conference, the city streets were blanketed with Pride flags and the local movie theater screen flashed, ‘Pride Festival June 13th’. It felt good to see the community support displayed so freely, as it should be every day.”
-Amanda Brown, Member President’s DEI Council
Co-President and Founder of UMA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Student Action Club
“To me, the legacy of pride is so much more than a celebration, a festival, or even a month. It is a legacy of fearlessness, bold and unapologetic self-expression. It’s a time to claim your place in the world. It takes tremendous courage to show up, masks off, and speak up to live your true self. I know it did for me. The vulnerability required is crippling at times, but today, I do not live in the shadow of stigma. I am worth so much more than that, we all are.”
– Heidi Toner
Bangor SGA President
“Though elevating and amplifying the voices of fellow students, friends, community members, and family is a year round commitment, taking time in the month of June to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community while reflecting on what has been lost, taken away, and sacrificed just to get to this point with so much further to go for our society is of the utmost importance. This is time we can all set aside and focus on an issue so we can all learn and grow together. This is community. This is LOVE and everyone deserves to feel it.”
-Joseph Spiller
President, UMA SGA Augusta Campus
Chair, UMA SGA General Assembly
Executive Secretary & Co-Founder, DEI Student Action Club