We’re Here, We’re Queer, We’re Proud

We asked ten LGBTQ+ Students Demand Action leaders what pride means to them and how queer youth are resisting hate in their communities. Here’s what they said.

LGBTQ+ young people are leaders across movements, including the gun violence prevention movement. This Pride, despite legislative attacks on the LGBTQ+ community, specifically young trans people, we claim and celebrate our identities to show that we will not be silenced or erased.

We asked ten LGBTQ+ Students Demand Action leaders what pride means to them and how queer youth are resisting hate in their communities and across the country.

Here’s what they had to say:

What does Pride—the emotion and the month-long celebration—mean to you? Why is this event important for LGBTQ+ youth in particular?

Faith, she/they

• “Pride is empowerment and feeling comfortable and confident in your own skin and identity.”

Gee, he/they

• “What Pride means to me is the ability to hold yourself in confidence, love, and respect. It is a way to show our power. That feeling is so important for LGBTQ+ youth, because it shows us every possibility of what we could become.”

Aydin, he/him

• “Pride is a celebration of courage and strength during a time of injustice and divisiveness. Pride is love and unity in the face of hate and bigotry. Pride is a testament to the battle for equality that LGBTQ+ people have fought for decades.”

Leighanne, she/her

• “Pride is to be proud of who you are, and Pride Month is a time to embrace the person you are. I think it’s so important for LGBTQ+ youth to have this time to see the community that surrounds them.”

Elisia, she/they

• “Pride is a time where people come together and celebrate beautiful people. It signifies the unity of our community.”

Sara, they/xe/she

• “I think it’s the perfect word for us, and especially for LGBTQ+ youth, because we should be proud. It’s so important for us to know that our voices matter. We deserve the right to be happy and celebrate who we are.”

Peren, any pronouns

• “Pride reminds us that our community is stronger than hate. It shows young LGBTQ+ people that we will not succumb to the false idea that we should be ashamed of our identities.”

Charlie, they/them

• “To me, Pride is an opportunity to embrace my identity and recognize the efforts of other LGBTQ+ icons to make the world a better place on the grounds of equality and justice.”

Niamh, she/they

• “I came out at 12, and I didn’t know another out queer person at the time. I felt alienated and alone, but seeing my community during Pride Month helped me accept myself fully. To me, Pride is a time of love and celebration of the courage it takes to be truly yourself. Adolescence is a scary time for anyone, but being queer adds another layer of figuring out who you are and where you fit in. Pride is essential for helping young people recognise they will always have a place where they belong.”

Evelyn, she/they/he

• “With all of the anti-LGBTQ+ legislation this year, this Pride is a time to find happiness in all of the darkness. Pride gives hope to young queer people and can be a place where they can see people like them being free and happy.”

Is your work to end gun violence influenced by your LGBTQ+ identity? If so, how?

Faith, she/they

• “Since I’ve fully come out, I’ve focused more on the disproportionate impact gun violence has on the LGBTQIA+ community and how the media shapes our perception of this disproportionality.”

Gee, he/they

• “In the trans community, we face a lot of violence, mostly violence against trans women of color. In my efforts to pass safer gun laws, I am working towards creating a safer queer community.”

Aydin, he/him

• “As a young, queer person in a close-minded community, I’ve seen the hate the LGBTQ+ community faces. I’m fighting for gun safety so those hateful comments won’t turn into real life violence made possible by easy access to guns.”

Leighanne, she/her

• “People in the LGBTQ+ community are disproportionately targets of gun violence, and many of my friends identify within the community too. I will continue to fight for us to be treated with respect and to make sure no one, especially those in my community, experiences gun violence.”

Charlie, they/them

• “Queer individuals are more than twice as likely to experience violent victimization than their straight, cisgender peers. Discrimination is infinitely more dangerous when guns are involved, and it is extremely important to me that changes are made to protect LGBTQ+ people from gun violence.”

Niamh, she/they

• “As a queer person in Orlando, the Pulse Nightclub attack hit incredibly close to home. Orlando has since been immensely supportive of the queer community and there are tributes to Pulse everywhere, but it’s important that we also recognize that this was the most large-scale and visible attack against queer people in our community. Our work must include the violence committed against queer people every day that may not be as publicized.”

How have you seen young LGBTQ+ people show up to resist legislative attacks?

Faith, she/they

• “As one of the head organizers of the National March for Queer and Trans Youth Autonomy this year, I saw thousands of LGBTQIA+ youth rally in all 50 states and DC to stand in solidarity with each other and to protest the anti-LGBTQIA legislative attacks on our community.”

Gee, he/they

• “I have seen my generation pull up to the fight for queer rights and gun reform. A majority of my peers in Students Demand Action are part of the LGBTQ+ community, and our involvement shows that people who have faced oppression are willing to fight so that others don’t know what that feeling is.”

Aydin, he/him

• “We, as youth, are tired of being used as political pawns to earn votes, and we are using our voices to challenge the status quo and incite the change we wish to see in our communities. That gives me so much strength.”

Leighanne, she/her

• “I have seen so many LGBTQ+ people stand up recently. I’ve seen my Students Demand Action friends share their experiences and fight to make sure others feel safe and comfortable. It is so inspiring to watch my friends take action and not let what others may say affect them.”

Sara, they/xe/she

• “Despite targeted attacks, the LGBTQ+ community has always risen to the challenge, and we will continue to do so. In finding one another within a community, we are stronger, and we will come out winning on the other side. Pun intended!”

Charlie, they/them

• “Queer youth resist legislative attacks every day of our lives by living as our true selves and sharing our experiences. Beyond that, we’re taking action and making our voices heard.”

Niamh, she/they

• “Young queer people are making our voices heard all over the country, and it’s so inspiring to see. LGBTQ+ youth are recognizing that we’re a powerful force for change, and we’re using that power to make the world a more accepting place for everyone.”

Evelyn, she/they/he

• “I am constantly inspired by LGBTQ+ youth who turn out to protest across the country, especially in Florida. I always see posts on social media or in the news that assure me that even though I’m not there, there are thousands of others who are standing up.”

What would you tell young LGBTQ+ people who might be afraid for the future?

Faith, she/they

• “The future is more terrifying than ever before. The best thing we can do in the present is to be there for each other, lift up the voices that are being suppressed, and advocate not just for each other, but for ourselves as well. With the weight of the current state of the world, never forget to take care of yourself.”

Gee, he/they

• “Don’t let fear hold you back from being you. There are people who are willing to fight for you and your rights. I am one of those people fighting for you, and we won’t stop until we can be unapologetically queer and joyful.”

Aydin, he/him

• “Despite what may be happening in our society, or the language used by some of our legislators that have abused the platform they have been given, LGBTQ+ people have continued to stay strong and courageous in the face of danger and adversity. Young people, our peers, are organizing, rallying, and will be voting in unprecedented numbers, and together, we will push back against hate and bigotry. Hope will always triumph over fear.”

Leighanne, she/her

• “There is hope. LGBTQ+ people are fighting for you, and because of our community taking action, there is hope that things will change.”

Elisia, she/they

• “I’m scared too, but I don’t want to be. That’s why I’m taking action.”

Sara, they/xe/she

• “If you are afraid, I understand. I’m afraid too. There are lots of people who would like to silence us. But bravery does not mean a lack of fear. Bravery means the courage, the will, and the confidence in oneself, to overcome that fear. Be undeniably yourself. All throughout history people have been trying to erase us, but we are still here. We’re here to stay.”

Peren, any pronouns

• “Our community is stronger than any attack against us because we support one another and live to uplift our joy.”

Charlie, they/them

• “The world is a difficult place to navigate as young queer people. Know that we’re fighting for you, and with you, and there is a whole community behind you who will not stop until we reach safety and equality for all LQBTQ+ people. We are stronger than the discriminatory policies that lawmakers are pushing on us.”

Niamh, she/they

• “You are not alone and will never be alone in this community. Find the people who love you for who you are and make your home with them, and things become so much easier. There is more strength and courage in being unabashedly yourself than in any other action.”

Evelyn, she/they/he

• “Find your people. Being around those who were like me or who accepted me made me become so much more confident in myself. Surround yourself with friends who you can trust and who love you.”