BY JASMINE KAPOOR

It’s June! You know what that means, MD! No, not performance tasks and exams. No, not summer vacation. Well, those are in June, but this month is also Pride! Pride is a month to celebrate the entire LGBT+ community. While it is important that we are able to have a parade full of joy and celebration, it is just as important that we remember and honour members of the community from the past who are the reason that Pride is able to happen at all. For example, Pride takes place in June because of the Stonewall Riots of 1969, when members of the gay community in New York made demonstrations against the police who had been raiding the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City. The history of the LGBT+ community involves pain, but is also involves victory. One victory is that currently there are 26 countries where gay marriage is legal! But we still have a long way to go when it comes to accepting everyone because there are still many countries where gay marriage is illegal, as well as punishable, possibly by death in some places.

Pride is a time to celebrate the rich history of the LBGT+ community, all the progress we have made, and raise awareness of the progress we will make in the future. Happy Pride!