by Julia Lang, Consulting Manager and Ken Lupoff, Associate Director of Business Development

LGBTQ+ Pride Month (or Gay Pride Month) was first held in June of 1970 to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall riots that erupted over the long-term discrimination and harassment of New York City’s diverse LGBTQ+ communities by the city’s police force. Those gay liberation activists catalyzed a movement that, over the past half-century, has led to extensive progress and acceptance of LGBTQ+ people and gay rights, including marriage, across the U.S. and beyond.

But, while the “arc of history” had seemingly been bending towards the full acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community, the past few years have seen a retrograde attack on gay, lesbian, and trans-gendered communities. This past year has brought many setbacks to the LGBTQ+ community, especially transgender and queer community members who perform drag. As of the beginning of May 2023, a record breaking 540 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in state legislatures across the country, a shameful record according to the Human Rights Campaign.

The current anti-trans bills and other attempts to marginalize members of the LGBTQ+ community represent a trend away from the values of equity, inclusion, and justice that RDA holds dear. RDA staff take very seriously the call to counter this movement by making contributions to the effort to educate, advocate, and fight for continued progress, acceptance, and equal rights for LQBTQ+ communities as part of the continued effort to bend the arc of history towards justice for all.

As an employee-owned, majority-woman-managed California Social Purpose Corporation, RDA works to help public and social sector organizations meet the needs of the communities we work in. This work, at the strategic intersection of applied research and implementation with organizations that are working on the ground, is central to RDA staff’s commitment to equity, access, and opportunity.

We hope that everyone reading this blog, will join us as we celebrate our LGBTQ+ communities by showing up at local events and supporting LGBTQ+ equity and equality in June and every other month of the year.