Pride and Prejudice: Honoring LGBTQ+ Survivors Then and Now

Pride Month is a vibrant celebration of love, community, and resilience. It is also a time of reflection. In 1969, the Stonewall Riots became a turning point for LGBTQ+ rights in the U.S. Led by trans women of color like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera–women who had themselves survived horrific sexual abuse in youth–the movement challenged a world that had criminalized their identities and denied them safety and dignity. 

More than 50 years later, we’ve seen meaningful progress. But there’s still critical work to be done.

Too often, conversations around violence and abuse overlook the LGBTQ+ community. And yet, the rates of violence they experience are staggering:

• LGBTQ+ people are nearly four times more likely than non-LGBTQ+ individuals to experience violent victimization, including rape, sexual assault, and aggravated or simple assault.
• Nearly half of transgender and nonbinary adults have experienced sexual assault in their lifetimes.
• Two in five LGBTQ+ survivors of domestic abuse report receiving no support from family or friends; three in five say they receive no professional help at all. 

These numbers reflect the importance of our collective work, as survivors are too often met with silence, disbelief, or exclusion.

Recognizing this reality, Pride is not only a celebration, but also a call to action, especially for those of us involved in the movement to end domestic and sexual violence. While we celebrate, we also recommit ourselves to uplifting and protecting LGBTQ+ people and ensuring that our movement reaches everyone, especially those most often overlooked. 

We hope you’ll join us this month and beyond in honoring the courage of those who speak up in the face of violence and erasure; in advocating for inclusive, affirming support services for all survivors; and working towards a future that does right by those most vulnerable to abuse. Because until everyone is safe, our work is not done.