Each June, we gather in towns across Connecticut to celebrate Pride—boldly, joyfully, and in defiance of those who would erase us. But this year, as attacks on the LGBTQ+ community escalate nationwide, we must ask a harder question: Who shows up when it counts?
Transgender people, especially trans youth, are under siege. In statehouses across the country, lawmakers are banning health care, criminalizing expression, and weaponizing fear. While Connecticut has been a leader in affirming LGBTQ+ rights, no one is immune from the rising tide of extremism. In our classrooms, on our school boards, even in our public libraries, trans people are being vilified just for existing.
And yet—even within our own queer community—trans people are too often left to fight alone. It is not enough for cisgender queer people to wave a flag in June and look away in July. We must do more than celebrate. We must protect. We must confront the uncomfortable truth that privilege exists within our community, and that real allyship starts with how we use it.
Being in solidarity with trans people—especially Black and brown trans people—requires more than agreement. It requires reflection. What beliefs have we internalized about gender expression or respectability? Where are we silent when we could speak up? Whose safety do we center when we plan our advocacy—or our parties?
Cis queer people can start by listening to trans voices, advocating for inclusive policies in our workplaces and schools, and showing up when it’s uncomfortable—not just when it’s convenient. That might mean challenging transphobia within our friend groups. It might mean supporting trans-led organizations, or stepping aside to let trans leaders lead. It definitely means naming the violence when we see it—and not waiting for trans people to do it first.
Pride is a protest. But it’s also a promise. A promise to keep fighting until everyone in our community—especially our most vulnerable—is safe, celebrated, and free.
This month, I’ll be speaking alongside Melissa Combs (co-chair of Connecticut’s LGBTQ+ Justice & Opportunity Network) at Westport Pride on June 22. Westport Pride is a beautiful example of how local communities can lead with love and act with courage. I hope you’ll join us there—not just to celebrate who we are, but to recommit to what we stand for.
Because Pride isn’t just a party. It’s a responsibility.
Learn more about Westport Pride at www.westportpride.org/events
