Thank Goodness It’s June: Pride 2024
As an ally and the parent of a child who identifies as being part of the LGBTQIA community, I desperately need some good news. My family needs good news. I think we all need good news. TGIJ – Thank Goodness It’s June – is all I have to say. PRIDE month is here and that means we get to not only affirm but celebrate the LGBTQIA community. In my community, that means parades, drag brunches, charity events, worship services, festivals, and more, all focused on celebrating authenticity, honoring diversity, and fostering belonging.
And while we’re focused on the positive, let’s talk about what has been accomplished already in 2024 to support the LGBTQIA community. Marriage equality has been legalized in Estonia, Greece and Liechenstein, and several pending votes and court cases have strong momentum for fostering positive change across the globe. Thailand is very close to recognizing marriage equality; it will be the first Southeaster Asian country to have done so. (At the time of writing, the bill had passed the lower house and its first hearing in the Senate.) The Netherlands Antilles nations of Sint-Maarten, Curaçao and Aruba are expected to legalize same-sex marriage this month, to coincide with Pride month.
In addition to advancements in marriage equality, we’ve seen continued efforts to ban conversion therapy. Legislation prohibits and criminalizes efforts at forced conversion of sexual orientation or gender identity took effect in Portugal March 1, and New South Wales banned conversion therapy in March, including for citizens out of state.
In April, Germany’s parliament passed a law that eases legal procedures for changing names and gender identity. That same month, Sweden passed a law lowering the minimum age to legally change gender from 18 to 16. Also, Dominica’s High Court decriminalized same-sex conduct.
In the United States, a federal district court blocked Florida from enforcing a law banning medical care for transgender adolescents and that restricts care for transgender adults. President Biden finalized a rule that strengthens the Affordable Care Act’s protections for LGBTQIA individuals. The types of discrimination now explicitly prohibited include lack of emergency care because of sexual orientation or gender identity, denying fertility care for same-sex couples, and denying coverage for hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Another rule finalized in April clarifies that the scope of Title IX includes protections against all sex-based harassment and discrimination (including against discrimination based on sex stereotypes, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics) in federally funded educational programs and activities. In January, Biden issued a rule changing a policy initiated by the Trump White House such that individuals can no longer be turned away when seeking federally funded medical care because of the health care provider’s beliefs.
Is there still much to do? Absolutely. We must continue to advocate for just laws and policies, and we must continue to drown out the voices of those who continue to deny the rights and humanity of individuals in the LGBTQIA community. But for a moment, let us take a deep breath. It is June. There is much to celebrate. Before we return to the trenches, let’s bask in the celebrations that will occur across the United States and in many other countries commemorating efforts to gain civil rights and equal justice for the LGBTQIA community.