Today marks the first day of #PrideMonth. To be honest, it usually passes me by — the usual “happy pride month” tweet on 1st June, and on we go.
This year feels different, somehow, and I think it’s important to talk about it. Thread 1/

Over the past few days, we’ve seen protests across America and around the world. #BlackLivesMatter has been put back on the public’s agenda, front and centre. And as it should be — it really doesn’t take a genius to figure out that (A) pretty much every government, 2/

public authority, police force, judicial system, and more, is racist, and (B) black lives matter. They are humans, with rights, and the racism they’ve endured for centuries can’t justify a continuation of such oppression. Of course you can’t draw perfect comparisons. 3/

The movement for LGBTQ+ rights and the #BlackLivesMatter movements are different, but they have similarities. They’re both fighting for rights, against an establishment which is not just passively opposed to them, but actively attempting to silence their voices 4/

and strip them of their freedoms. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I stand in solidarity with all those protesting around the world. The #Stonewall riots, amongst many, many others, showed us both what governments and police forces are prepared to do to keep 5/

the status quo of inequality and injustice, but also showed us the power of protest, and how it can build, mobilise, and focus a movement, influencing real change. There’s a long way to go for #BlackLivesMatter , and there’s a long way to go for LGBTQ+ rights. This year, 6/

we’ve seen attacks on LGBTQ+ rights around the world, from Hungary’s ban on legal recognition of gender changes, to @trussliz’s attack on young transgender people’s rights, to the UK government’s failure to act on calls to ban conversion therapy, which threatens and destroys 7/

lives. In Poland, there have been anti-LGBT marches, and the establishment of “LGBT ideology-free zones”. In the US, a report showed a 43% increase in anti-LGBT hate groups, fuelled by the “discrimination administration”. 8/

The world may look a little bleak at the moment. But when there is the desire and indeed the need for change, It can happen. Now is not the time for complacency: celebrate the rights we have, and those who fought to obtain them for us. And then continue their work, 9/

to ensure that our rights are maintained and improved. Whether it be LGBTQ+ rights, #BlackLivesMatter , women’s rights, or any other social movement, add your voice. Pride month should serve to remind us of the history of LGBTQ+ rights, inspiring us to keep on pushing. 10/

It’s our responsibility to use that drive to help other movements too, though, because we know how it feels. So let’s go change things.
Happy pride month. 11/11