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Pride Month proclamation signing
In celebration of Pride Month, the public is invited to the CNMI Pride Month proclamation signing on June 2, 2021, at 9am at the Koblerville Basketball court.
Pride Month, which is typically observed in June, is a global celebration, one where many collective voices unite to support an amazing cause and honor our LGBTQIA+ community. It is celebrated to honor the 1969 Stonewall uprising in Manhattan, considered a tipping point for the gay liberation movement in the United States.
In the United States, the last Sunday in June was initially celebrated as “Gay Pride Day.” In major cities across the nation the “day” soon grew to encompass a month-ong series of events. Today, celebrations include pride parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia and concerts, and LGBTQ Pride Month events attract millions of participants around the world. Memorials are held during this month for those members of the community who have been lost to hate crimes. The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally.
We want to encourage all partners to get involved and find creative ways to show support. We urge our community to raise awareness of LGBTQIA+ rights. Your continued support is crucial for a loving and accepting environment, especially for our LGBTQIA+ youth.
Last year, 2020, Pride Marianas Youth volunteer Dr. Bobby Cruz said, “While we’ve seen tremendous progress in the past 50 years for the advancement of LGBTQIA+ rights, it’s still important because there’s still work to be done to ensure that marginalized groups, particularly our LGBTQ+ community, have an opportunity to participate in this world that they are a part of.”
The Torres-Palacios administration expanded the Pride celebration last year by declaring the CNMI’s first-ever Pride Month. “We need to work together to create a loving and accepting environment, especially for our LGBTQIA+ youth,” said Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios. (PR)
