𧾠THREAD: This #PrideMonth, donât forget that the fight for queer liberation didnât start or end with marriage equality.
đŞâ¨ We need to keep fighting for our rights.
Hereâs are a few examples:
đ Before the 2003 Supreme Court ruling in Lawrence v. Texas, same-smex smexual activity was illegal in fourteen U.S. states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. military
đś Before 2015, LGBTQ+ couples couldnât adopt in all 50 states. Before the Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, laws varied wildly by state.
đłď¸âđ Before 1973, the American Psychiatric Association listed homosmexuality as a âmental illness.â In December 1973, a vote was successfully held to remove it.
đłď¸ Before 1974, there were no openly gay elected officials. That changed with Kathy Kozachenko, who became the first openly gay American elected to public office in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
đď¸ Before 2011, âDonât Ask, Donât Tellâ banned LGBTQ+ people from serving openly in the military.
đ Before 2015, LGBTQ+ couples couldnât get married in all 50 states. At the time, laws varied by state, and while many states allowed for civil unions for same-sex couples, it created a separate but equal standard.
đź Before 2020, employers could legally discriminate against queer and trans employees. It wasnât until the U.S. Supreme Court held that an employer who fires or otherwise discriminates against an individual simply for being gay or transgender is in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
I think this is also important for people who are young enough to not remember when we didn't have these protections.
While it's amazing that some folks can't imagine a world without these rights, it's important to be aware of how nascent these wins are, and by extension, how fragile they are
