Beyond Pride Month Action Guide

Each month at Bottle Rocket, we aim to bring a specific historically underrepresented community into focus. We do this not because it is something to review once and mark off a checklist but to build a foundation of awareness and understanding.

Pride Month is a powerful reminder of the progress made, the communities that made those strides possible, and the work still in motion. Often, we wrap the end of the month with a resource guide, but this month let’s call it our “action guide.” Dive into how you can take action and advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community year-round.

Connect to LGBTQIA+ Oriented Non-Profits and Organizations

• The Trevor Project
  Provide crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people under 25.
  
• SAGE
  Advocacy and services for LGBTQIA+ elders.
  
• National Center for Transgender Equality
  Focuses all of its efforts on advancing the civil rights of transgender people, working to advocate for awareness and equality through media campaigns and public policy.

• The Audre Lorde Project
  Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Two Spirit, Trans, and Gender Non-Conforming People of Color Center for community organizing, focusing on the New York City area.

• The Okra Project
  A collective that seeks to address the global crisis faced by Black Trans people by bringing home cooked, healthy, and culturally specific meals and resources to Black Trans People within reach.  

Think Before You Shop

Support LGBTQIA+-owned businesses and encourage growth in your community. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is a great place to begin when searching for LGBTQIA+ businesses. Find 6 of their recommended directories here.

Keep Your Activism Inclusive

Feeling charged up and ready to organize? Great! If you’re organizing a group to meet in person to discuss policy issues, community growth or hosting a learning session, it’s important to remember to keep your activism inclusive. Here’s how to make that happen.

1. Check the space. Is there a ramp or elevator available for those who need it? What about an accessible restroom stall?
   
2. Can the event be hybrid? Some individuals may have difficulty finding transportation or have other needs best met in a virtual environment. If you pick a hybrid option, ensure that people “on screen” can participate in the meeting and are not left behind in the conversation.
   
3. Communicate Before. If you’re hosting an event, reach out before to give everyone a heads-up on what to expect when they show up. Is there accessible parking? What are the chairs like? Are there typically large crowds? All of this is helpful information for many people looking to engage. Knowing what to expect makes attending community events much more manageable.

Know Your Policy on Policies

Ask yourself, “How will I keep up with the ever-changing policy landscape?” It is crucial to understand the challenges faced by the LGBTQIA+ community to be proactive and educationally in tune with what is happening in the U.S. and globally. Perhaps that means checking in on your trusted sources once a week or taking a few minutes out of your day to specifically read or listen to information about the issues impacting LGBTQIA+ people. Need a place to start? Find a few below.

• Human Rights Campaign
• Lambda Legal
• American Civil Liberties Union
• National Center for Transgender Equality  

Although June may be coming to a close, your education and advocacy do not have to end. Consider it your new beginning. Your voice matters, and your voice is essential in advancing the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ people in all spaces, now and always.