Topic Tuesday // Pride Month: Connection and Growth // Tues 28th June, 2022 7-8:30PM AEST

[Former-Member]

Hello @anti_anti_meds so nice to have you at Topic Tuesday and also the forums! Can't wait to get to know you today ❤️ 🏳️‍🌈

[Former-Member]

Let's move into our first question for tonight 😊

For those that are not aware, Pride Month commemorates the Stonewall Riots.

@Former-Member, could you tell us a bit about the Stonewall Riots, and their historical and current significance? 

For LGBTAIQ+ members and allies reading along: If you are aware of the Stonewall Riots? And if so, what are your thoughts on their impact or legacy? 

[Former-Member]

Before I talk about this, I wanna say that I only learnt about this a few years ago! Pride month was started to commemorate the Stonewall riots. In late June 1969 in New York, police were violently raiding an infamous gay bar – the Stonewall Inn.  

The community resisted this violence  and stood up to police for 6 days. This event sparked Pride movements across the world. To learn more about the origins, I really recommend the Netflix documentary the Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson and we have this article here (TW: violence and homophobia): 

And Pride month is about celebrating this defiance, this rebellion and acknowledging that being part of the LGBTIAQ+ community is about celebrating our uniqueness and challenging the status quo.  

And here, the influence of Stonewall lead to the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Madri Gras! It was first held in June as a party protest, but moved to earlier in the year to accommodate the weather (and our lovely outfits!) 🏳️‍🌈 

There are some really awesome things that we can learn from Stonewall 

• Community is key. Even if the face of awful experiences, we can support each other 
• Being our authentic self can inspire people we don’t even know 

Resources:  

• Death and life of Marsha P Johnson documentary 
• Minus18 definitions 
• Institute of Family Studies definitions 

[Clawde]

@anti_anti_meds  sorry to say this but it’s true, once you come out to you can’t go back in, so your then labeled for the rest of your life, it’s the same thing as saying you have mental health issues. Sad but true.so people Like us are called the for runners, but what’s the point the point is we help the next person, wish I had more help in my younger days, still have resentments to a lot of closet people that could have helped and only come out once the path was easier I know it’s not fair, but it is what it is.

[Former-Member]

@Clawde you're right, there should have been a lot more acceptance and support for yourself and everyone who was a forerunner- it's what everyone deserves. 

I hope there is at least more of that for you now ❤️

[anti_anti_meds]

Yeah, I totally get that.

I was in love with my best friend in year 4, but she moved schools. I was really sad, I never got to see her again, and I didn't get her phone number.

To be completely transparent, and maybe even to encourage someone else: I also have bipolar disorder. I just recently learned that being attracted to more than one gender is actually quite a common trend for those who have bipolar disorder.

[Clawde]

Thank you there is more support of course, but , but only it’s the old saying of once people get to know you ……

but the biggest is laws are now made that is illegal to be otherwise perhaps 

[Former-Member]

Next question for tonight - 

@Former-Member, I understand you grew up regionally- what was that like for you? How did you cope with any difficulties you experience related to your identities? 

For LGBTIAQ+ community reading along: Do you live, or have you lived, regionally or remotely- or in any community that is generally less accepting? How have you coped with any difficulties you experienced related to your identities? 

For allies in regional or less accepting communities reading along: What have you seen other do, what do you do, or what could do to make LGBTIAQ+ people in your community be safer and more accepted? 

[Clawde]

Thank you in Australia different states were harder than others ?

[Former-Member]

Thanks for sharing your experience @Clawde , you deserved so much more. Glad you can provide some support to the next people and hopefulyl we can support you a bit too ❤️ . And @anti_anti_meds, there is no time pressure to come out! I think your experience is super common for a lot of our community. Thank you for sharing your story ❤️  

I can share some of my experiences too ❤️  

Yes @Former-Member!  

I grew up regionally in a community I didn’t really, ever feel comfortable with being my authentic self. For the longest time I felt like I was pretending to be someone else. And this definitely contributed to a lot of my early mental health struggles.  

Early on, before I “came out”, I found so much joy in reading books or watching film and TV shows with queer characters, connecting in online forums (like this one!).  

Then as I slowly started letting my authentic self be projected on the outside, I started to let even just one or two people in on my true self. But until then, it was pretty lonely. 

There are some things which have helped me, like trying to let go of the idea of “coming out”. This refers to “coming out of the closet”. But you know what? I don’t know if it’s fair to assume everyone is straight! And I don’t think we “come out” just the one time. As we grow, as we meet new people we will constantly be disclosing our identity to people.  

BUT, I think coming out is a choice we can make. For some of us it will be an important and affirming ritual. For others, we can come out to ourselves. And also, we can choose to only come out only to a few people. And that’s ok. Or we can destroy the idea of the closet all together, we are who we are and we don’t need to prove that to anyone. If people make assumptions about us, that’s on them. Not on us ❤️