This June, work on making a habit to support the queer community across the world in honor of Pride Month.
Last year, we laid out why World Animal Protection supports LGBTQ+ rights. To quote the post, “While our mission is to move the world to protect animals, our animal welfare goals are powered by people.” Because we’re powered by people, it’s essential to bolster causes that affect people, including queer solidarity, comfort, and rights.
Many of our staff members, backers, and other people we work with are active in the LGBTQ+ community and deserve our support. This June, we wanted to give our followers some ways to take part in Pride Month to take the next steps in LGBTQ+ alliance. Here are four ways to champion the queer community this month – and beyond.
1. Listen to queer people
One of the easiest ways to support the LGBTQ+ community is by listening to its members. Learning is an essential part of supporting any community – whether you’re learning about pronouns, the LGBTQ+ wage disparity, or any other queer issue, queer people are the best resource from which to learn. Read books by queer people, watch queer TV and movies (one favorite is “Disclosure” on Netflix), and, of course, listen to people in the LGBTQ+ community when they speak. If you’re looking for some queer people in the plant-based space to follow, we recommend Amy Quichiz (@amyquichiz) and @beetsbybrooke. After all, who better to inform you about the queer community than the queer community itself?
2. Support queer-owned businesses
The next time you have an errand to run (or just want to go on a shopping spree), consider giving your business to a queer-owned company. A quick Google search shows that there are queer-owned shopping alternatives to almost any kind of store, either online or locally. Shop for your pet at Otherwild, or treat yourself to a good book from Bluestockings. Know an amazing business looking to give back to animals? Pass us their information via our corporate partnership page.
3. Donate your time or money to an LGBTQ+ organization
There are plenty of non-profit organizations that support LGBTQ+ rights and community members. These efforts rely on the donations of time and money by people just like you. GLITS, a New York-based organization that finds housing and health solutions for LGBTQ+ individuals, accepts donations in the form of financial contributions and volunteering. If you’re not in the New York area, The Trevor Project provides suicide prevention support to LGBTQ+ youth across the country. This organization also accepts financial donations, and you can volunteer as a crisis counselor to make a direct impact on the lives of queer youth.
4. Give directly to Black trans women
If you are thinking about donating to an LGBTQ+ organization, consider doubling your contribution by giving money directly to Black trans women. Black trans women have been at the forefront of the fight for queer rights since the very beginning. Many in the community credit Black trans activist Marsha P. Johnson with throwing the first brick at the Stonewall Riots, the event that we remember every June. Yet Black trans women are more likely to be discriminated against, unhoused, and even murdered. Black trans women are killed at disproportionate rates because of “the intersections of racism, transphobia, sexism, biphobia and homophobia,” according to the Human Rights Campaign. Show your support by giving to a Black trans woman’s GoFundMe, PayPal, or Venmo.
We can all do more to support the LGBTQ+ community year-round. These actions can be explored during the month of June and practiced throughout the year. We highly encourage our followers to stand in support of the queer community all year by continuing to take part in these action items even when Pride Month is over.