Stand Up and Bash Back! The lessons of the Stonewall Riot are clear: When We Fight, We Win!

Pride month this year starts with Trump attacking the LGBTQ community every chance he gets. No matter how desperate and unbearable the attacks from reactionaries become, we must remember that our resistance and history is greater than anything the Trump Administration or any other enemy can throw at us. Pride month is a reminder of our courageous history, of our struggle to win our democratic rights.

Pride began as an uprising against a brutal police raid, in New York City, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn on Christopher street. When bigoted police threw down the gauntlet, the inn’s patrons threw back the brick. Pride celebrations started with that rebellion, and must continue to honor its spirit. It was the revolutionary attitude of LGBTQ people fighting back against police repression in the street that started our liberatory movement.

This fight back was a united one. Patrons were Black, Puerto Rican, gay, trans, and working class. All of those patrons knew the police officers who threatened them for who they loved and how they dressed were their enemies. The movement that they sparked forged community through struggle, and taught those facing political repression an important lesson: united, they could win and overcome even the most repressive laws and violence.

Today, anti-LGBTQ attacks are surging, and the corporations that used to wave the rainbow flag are cowering. But the people’s movements are still growing and developing in spite of all the pushback. Our Pride must honor Stonewall’s legacy, celebrate our identities, and struggle tooth and nail to defend our civil liberties. The best way to do this is to build a united front against Trump. Pride shouldn’t be seen as the isolated issue of one community. If you recognize LGBTQ people’s revolutionary potential to help tear down this rotten system, now is the time to stand with them.

Solidarity with the LGBTQ community is vital for all movements fighting for liberation, whether it be those fighting to end police brutality, fighting to end the deportation and mistreatment of immigrants, or fighting for working class people to have political and economic power.

Join local Pride Actions being put on in your community – any Pride month rallies, marches, or events being hosted. If your community already has a large LGBTQ movement or consistent organizing, take part in advanced actions that honor Stonewall’s revolutionary legacy. Unity is critical, and moving people forward with a fighting spirit is the next step. We need to prepare people for the upcoming fight against repressive LGBTQ legislation, and rally those who have become politically conscious and engaged to struggle against the heightened repression of the Trump presidency.

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