From Arkansas to Washington, Moms Demand Action volunteers have been out in full force at our nation’s Pride festivities. Every June, every part of the LGBTQ+ community comes together to celebrate living authentically, boldly, and unapologetically despite being targeted and marginalized.
Right now, anti-LGBTQ+ hate speech is spreading rapidly across the country. At the same time, extremist lawmakers are pushing legislative attacks on the LGBTQ+ community, all while advancing reckless gun laws. They’re creating a toxic situation that puts our lives at risk in more ways than one.
This anti-LGBTQ+ language and attitudes are exactly why gatherings like Pride are so critical. In some communities, your local gay bar and Pride events are some of the few times a year we see LGBTQ+ people in critical mass. It’s because safety is a very real concern when our lawmakers and culture makers put our identities, lives, and futures up for debate. At Everytown for Gun Safety, we’re working to disarm hate in all its forms, including against LGBTQ+ people.
LGBTQ+ people deserve safety, autonomy, freedom, and joy. We’re so thankful to all the LGBTQ+ volunteers and survivors who are fierce leaders in this movement, and push us to be better every step of the way. If you haven’t found your community yet or don’t get the support you need at home, just know that these moms are proud of you:
Volunteers in Fayetteville, Arkansas showed their pride at their Pride parade and even saw their mayor, Lioneld Jordan:
From Los Angeles, California with leaders like Mayor Karen Bass, lots of leaders and love in San Francisco to Orange County, where volunteers tabled, signed up volunteers, and gave out secure storage and gun safety information:
Moms Demand Action volunteers in St. Petersburg, Florida handed out books at Pride, saying, “books not bullets.”
We turned out in big numbers in Illinois—check out Buffalo Grove Pride Parade and Aurora Pride!
Check out the Indianapolis, Indiana chapter:
Loving our community in Lawrence, Kansas!
Get your free hugs from Moms Demand Action in Michigan:
In Minnesota, we honored Club Q and Pulse victims:
We embodied the rainbow at Pride in Santa Fe, New Mexico:
New York volunteers joined Gays Against Guns for the Queer Liberation March!
Ohio said don’t you dare forget about the Midwest!
Shout out the the Students Demand Action leaders tabling at Philly Pride in Pennsylvania:
We stand shoulder to shoulder with you in Charleston, South Carolina:
And everything is bigger in Texas, including our advocacy and Pride. We shared our message: “You belong here!” and “These moms are proud of you.”
We joined partners like Washington Ceasefire, Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence and The Alliance for Gun Responsibility at Seattle’s Pride:
These are just a few times (OK a lot!) that Moms Demand Action volunteers have shown up to say, “you belong here.” You deserve to exist and love freely, free from the threat of gun violence. That’s why we fight to disarm hate.
Join the Fight to Disarm Hate
We all deserve to live in a country where we are safe to exist and love freely—but we can’t make this future possible on our own. Add your name to pledge your support today.
