A challenge LGBTQ communities face now and in the years ahead is not only specific to policy threats or civil rights obstacles, but in how effectively we can join forces with other communities and rise together as one to fight back to ensure a more fair and equal future for all.
Gone are the days that communities can remain in silos, either because of how they have been historically disenfranchised or modern-day forces are working to create and maintain separation among groups. From divisive rhetoric to policies that aim to unravel the progress we have made in our country that benefit millions of people, such as access to quality healthcare, we have seen many recent harmful outcomes come to fruition.
These next several years will either be seen as turning points for how communities got smart and joined together in strong coalitions, or will be viewed as a wasted opportunity for change. The good news is that many LGBTQ Pride events across California this year have been laying the groundwork for coalition building through celebrating who we are and building unity among and across communities.
We can further this momentum at California’s next Pride event, which is today in Imperial Valley, and we hope San Diegans will attend. Join us this weekend just a few hours down Highway 8 where the Imperial Valley LGBT Resource Center is building on the success of last year to host its second annual Pride event. This Pride provides an invaluable safe space to be authentic, get empowered and establish strong local and statewide unity for the work ahead.
Our work will continue to address the major concerns of LGBTQ people – especially people who are also people of color, immigrants or transgender – who suffer significant disparities in almost every measure of health and wellbeing compared to the general public. LGBTQ people suffer from higher rates of depression, substance abuse, suicide and lower rates of health insurance coverage, as well as in economic status, homelessness, school success rates and violence and interactions with the criminal justice system.
In the Valley, LGBTQ people and specifically transgender people often face devastating issues within the healthcare system and other community services. For example, a recent news report profiled transgender people living in Imperial Valley who have to travel as far as San Diego to see a doctor who can provide them with the hormone treatments they need.
Access to healthcare has been a game changer for many across the state, yet there are still barriers for youth, families and LGBTQ people living in the Valley. Nearly thirty percent of them are foreign-born and many only have access to health care because they are also enrolled in DACA.
The weight of these issues is too significant to tackle and solve alone, yet when communities come together there is an unstoppable power in what we are able to accomplish for one another. Since LGBTQ people are also women, Muslims, youth, and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and people who live in large urban cities, as well as small rural communities, imagine what we can do if we became more collaborative and united and used one collective voice to support the issues specific to all groups that we’re a part of.
This is why many groups are supporting and attending Imperial Valley Pride this weekend, like Equality California and The California Endowment. From healthcare, immigration and criminal justice reform to transgender rights and HIV/AIDS & PrEP education and advocacy, Equality California is working on behalf of the state’s diverse LGBTQ community to make change and help foster environments where LGBTQ communities are better connected and unified.
Join us, San Diego, at Imperial Valley Pride and let’s fully build and harness the strength and potential of our beautiful and resilient community. Let’s rise up as one.
