As we continue to see increasing attacks on the queer community, Pride Month is an opportunity to reflect on the origin story of the LGBTQ+ rights movement and the role that Planned Parenthood has in the pursuit of queer liberation.
Pride was born out of the 1969 Stonewall Riots. Led by trans women of color like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, a movement was created that demanded change for people across the sex, gender, and sexuality spectrums. Today we are still fighting for those same rights, including when we celebrate Pride, a rebellion at its core.
We know that reproductive justice and queer liberation rest on the same foundation of equality and bodily autonomy. And thus, it should come as no surprise that the lawmakers placing increasing restrictions on abortions are in the same breath banning trans women in sports and threatening gender-affirming health care providers with jail time.
It is also true that the queer community faces compounding barriers when accessing sexual and reproductive health care. Already-stigmatized care coupled with the hurdles of navigating the health care system as a queer person are only exacerbated by other identity intersections: being a person of color, young, disabled, or of low-income.
That’s why Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest embraces the responsibility that comes with being in a safe haven state. And we are reaffirming our commitment to providing non-judgmental care, including lifesaving gender-affirming health care, to all those who come to our health centers, no matter who they are or who they love.
To our patients, staff, and supporters in the LGBTQ+ community, out or not, we see you and we stand with you. No matter what.
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