For gay men, lesbians and other sexual minorities, the month of June is Pride month … thirty days to celebrate who we are, and affirm what we have achieved as a community and a movement. So we march and dance on the streets, cover ourselves with glitter and wave rainbow flags, letting the world know that we have no intention of returning to the closet.
It is a time of celebration, but also one of defiance. We know that there are many who still despise us because we are different — and others who have discovered how lucrative it is to cast us as scapegoats.
As Pride month draws to a close, it is important to remember that there are still places around the world where sexual minorities are subjected to state-sanctioned torture and murder … often, ironically, in the name of God and all that is holy. Nations like Uganda and Iran are literally hell on earth if you commit the sin of loving the wrong person: no rainbow flags are being unfurled in Tehran or Kampala this month.
So for those of us fortunate enough to live in more progressive societies, this seems to be an appropriate time to acknowledge and thank our friends and allies — those who have helped us break down the closet doors. One of those allies is our president. You can criticize Joe Biden for being too cautious at various points in his career, or question whether or not a…
