News

What's Next For The LGBTQ Community?

by Rachel Krantz

June 26, 2016

There is a stark contrast between the tone of last year's NYC Pride Parade and this year's. In 2015, love had just won — the Supreme Court's decision on Obergefell v. Hodgesfinally made marriage equality a reality in the United States. Everywhere you went at Pride last year, people were holding flags and wearing shirts bearing the hashtag #LoveWins. This year, the tone is more somber. In the aftermath of the mass shooting at the gay nightclub Pulse in Orlando, we're reminded that while marriage equality was a huge win, it is far from the end — or even middle — of the fight for LGBTQ equality and safety.

Many LGBTQ activists argue that the movement's next national goals should focus on homeless LGBTQ youth, trans* rights, or employment discrimination. While the NYC Pride Parade attendees I spoke to touched upon these goals, two themes emerged: the importance of inclusion and intersectionality within the LGBTQ community itself, and the desire to feel more safe. The movement can look at the big picture — but it can also be as "small" as fighting for the right to hold your partner's hand without harassment.

So I asked New Yorkers at Pride: what would you like to see next for the LGBTQ community? Here were their answers.