"Hoppy" Monday to all my lovely dears and queers (this term is used endearingly and as a means to act as an umbrella for all those included in this community.)
As you are most likely aware, June is known as LGBTQ+ Pride Month - a month to celebrate the identities of those that may fall out of our historical norms of being straight or cisgender.
This site falls on the backs of many a member of this community - and I wanted to take just a moment to bring you here to show support to those struggling through difficult conversations with family and friends or even those too influenced to have that talk.
June is a month marked with the blood, sweat, and tears of those that came before and participated in the Stonewall Riots - the turning point to begin a conversation on treating the LGBTQ+ community with respect offered to straight and cisgender counterparts. It is a month where time is taken to think of the losses and gains, to allow a moment of breath to those holding theirs, and to show support regardless of our identities.
You may have seen this flag before:
This is an example of the Progress Pride Flag - a sample of the flag providing representation to the LGBTQIA+ Community in recent years (though it continues to change).
Each color on this flag means something to the community.
Each of these groups matters - not just here on our site but overall.
Those who may not fall into those categories are no less, but a moment of uplifting for a peer on the ground does not take away from the presence you hold; it merely makes it stronger. Take time to celebrate our friends, colleagues, acquaintances, and even strangers - and provide a foundation of kindness, just as we've urged in our Umbra community. Whether you realize it or not, you are all important to this journey.
Recognize your importance and please do something for me.
Take a moment, close your eyes, take a breath, and reflect on what benefit supporting others in this way might bring. Reflect on what we can do to help our neighbors instead of playing a part in the complacent silence that holds them down.
Take a moment to celebrate one another and the community we continue to chisel out with every letter, word, and paragraph we write.
If you want to know more, learn more, or hear more? Just say so - there is no judgment in teaching or learning, only in malicious and intentional ignorance.
Happy Pride Month - and to those of you that may not be safe to be open to others about who you are and what your truth may be.
We love you anyway. You are welcome here.
♥ Rei
As you are most likely aware, June is known as LGBTQ+ Pride Month - a month to celebrate the identities of those that may fall out of our historical norms of being straight or cisgender.
This site falls on the backs of many a member of this community - and I wanted to take just a moment to bring you here to show support to those struggling through difficult conversations with family and friends or even those too influenced to have that talk.
June is a month marked with the blood, sweat, and tears of those that came before and participated in the Stonewall Riots - the turning point to begin a conversation on treating the LGBTQ+ community with respect offered to straight and cisgender counterparts. It is a month where time is taken to think of the losses and gains, to allow a moment of breath to those holding theirs, and to show support regardless of our identities.
You may have seen this flag before:
This is an example of the Progress Pride Flag - a sample of the flag providing representation to the LGBTQIA+ Community in recent years (though it continues to change).
Each color on this flag means something to the community.
Red: Life
Orange: Healing
Yellow: Sunlight
Green: Nature
Blue: Serenity
Purple: Spirit
White, Pink, Blue: Inclusion of the trans community
Brown and Black: Inclusion of communities of color that have not received the same representation as their white counterparts.
And Black doubles as a recognition of those who passed due to the HIV/AIDs epidemic in the 80s and 90s.
Here is an explanation of the flag over timeOrange: Healing
Yellow: Sunlight
Green: Nature
Blue: Serenity
Purple: Spirit
White, Pink, Blue: Inclusion of the trans community
Brown and Black: Inclusion of communities of color that have not received the same representation as their white counterparts.
And Black doubles as a recognition of those who passed due to the HIV/AIDs epidemic in the 80s and 90s.
Each of these groups matters - not just here on our site but overall.
Those who may not fall into those categories are no less, but a moment of uplifting for a peer on the ground does not take away from the presence you hold; it merely makes it stronger. Take time to celebrate our friends, colleagues, acquaintances, and even strangers - and provide a foundation of kindness, just as we've urged in our Umbra community. Whether you realize it or not, you are all important to this journey.
Recognize your importance and please do something for me.
Take a moment, close your eyes, take a breath, and reflect on what benefit supporting others in this way might bring. Reflect on what we can do to help our neighbors instead of playing a part in the complacent silence that holds them down.
Take a moment to celebrate one another and the community we continue to chisel out with every letter, word, and paragraph we write.
If you want to know more, learn more, or hear more? Just say so - there is no judgment in teaching or learning, only in malicious and intentional ignorance.
Happy Pride Month - and to those of you that may not be safe to be open to others about who you are and what your truth may be.
We love you anyway. You are welcome here.
♥ Rei
May your self love bloom greater by the day 
