PRIDE FEST IS COMING and so are all of the ‘supporters’
For nearly 30 years, I’ve celebrated this incredible event, which started as a protest and has now become a major money making event.
Support is a delicate thing—it can take many identities, but often the support we see during June is heartbreakingly brief. It’s easy for corporations, stores, restaurants, nonprofits, and individuals to hang a pride flag, sell a few rainbow-themed items, pat themselves on the back for supporting our community. Then July 1 arrives. Flags come down, and the heartfelt posts vanish. The support, tied to the prospect of profits and fleeting feel-good moments, disappears, leaving a void that every person in our community feels deeply.
The same goes for fundraisers. It’s easy to slap a pride symbol on an event flyer, giving the impression of support. I’ve poured my heart into helping raise money for organizations I believed were genuinely supportive, only to find out their commitment didn’t extend beyond the end of June.
If you want to support a fundraiser during Pride month—or anytime during the year but especially during June when so many fundraisers attach themselves to our community, take the time to ask the tough questions to ensure the money raised genuinely supports the causes you care about. I’m here to help if you need guidance on what questions to ask.
Don’t get me wrong—there are incredible nonprofits doing remarkable work for our community, but remember, just because a nonprofit identifies as part of the LGTBQ+ community that doesn’t mean they always have our best interests at heart.
Sometimes, the call is, indeed, coming from inside the house.
There are also many small but mighty organizations working tirelessly for our community, yet they often go unnoticed because they lack the resources for big marketing campaigns. Research who they are, what they do, and how they support our community and then show them some love.
If you listen to the news for even just 3 minutes a day, you know that our community is under attack. Yes, many communities face challenges, but today, I’m focusing on ours.
We are seriously and rightfully concerned about what is happening in the world and in our own backyards when it comes to our rights and safety. And that’s because they are slowly disappearing. If you care about the LGBTQ+ community please vote in a way that shows you care.
Please support our community all year long and not just during June. If you display a pride flag only in June, ask yourself why you take it down in July. If you reach out to ‘hire a gay’ for an event in June, ask yourself why you don’t look to hire us the other 11 months of the year.
WE are here living our lives all year long not just in the month of June.
Support is like oxygen, it needs to be continuous in order for it to sustain us.
I provide leadership and support to a team of professionals who are committed to helping our clients attain their life's hopes and dreams which in turn will enhance their wealth and well-being.
1moThank you to First Foundation Inc. for your support of my organization and allowing me to continue to do good in my local community. We are one of the most popular events to attend every October in the desert.