June first marked the start of Pride Month. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made an Instagram post on their account dedicated to Pride Month. The month of June has become the chosen month for LGBTQI+ Pride to commemorate the Stonewall riots, which happened at the end of June 1969. Pride events are annually held during this month around the world.
Their post was a collage of various pictures celebrating pride. They highlighted 11 LGBTQI+ accounts. Similar to last month when they highlighted 16 accounts for #MentalHealthAwareness month. Under that post they wrote:
“Each month we will honour this same concept and change the accounts we solely follow based on a different theme or cause. Please go to our homepage and click “following” to see each of the select accounts and find out more about their work.”
I delved into the 16 accounts they highlighted on Twitter. I did the same #PrideMonth.
Under their #PrideMonth post they wrote:
“Continuing with our tradition to rotate the accounts we follow based on causes and social issues that matter to us: For the month of June we “proudly” shine a light on PRIDE. This month we pay tribute to the accounts supporting the LGBTQI+ community – those young and old, their families and friends, accounts that reflect on the past and are hopeful for a deservedly more inclusive future. We stand with you and support you 🌈 Because it’s very simple: love is love.”
Princess Diana was featured in the collage. It showed Princess Diana visiting a patient at the AIDS hospice London Lighthouse in 1996. In the mid-80s, HIV/AIDS create fear due to a lack of understanding as well as misinformation. Diana opened the UK’s first HIV/AIDS unit at London Middlesex Hospital in 1987. Later that year, she shook the hand of a man suffering from the illness without gloves. Doing so without gloves, she publicly challenged false narratives about the illness. She showed in a single gesture that this was a condition needing compassion and understanding, not contempt.
Muhlaysia Booker was the first picture in the collage. She was transgender woman and activist who was murdered in May. Highlighting the recent increase of murders on transgender women in the US. And the recent string of killings of black transgender women in Dallas, Texas.
A picture of the Sussexes during their first official engagement was also featured. In Nottingham for World AIDS Day, they visited two projects that support and raise awareness of HIV/AIDS and youth crime.
PFLAG founder, Jeanne Manford is featured. Jeanne marched as a bold and public display of support for her gay son, who had been bullied and beaten during a demonstration. Seen in the now iconic photo with a sign that read, “Parents of Gays: Unite in Support for Our Children”. She changed the course of history for LGBTQI+ families worldwide.
The Royal Family have been supporters of LGBTQ+ rights. Prior to their marriage, Meghan and Harry mentioned on prioritizing LGBTQI+ rights. According to People, they spoke with LGBTQI+ youth, and Meghan said that these issues are about “basic human rights,” and that it was important to challenge inequality. They also spoke to Australia’s Jacob Thomas, who won the Queen’s Young Leaders award for helping to reduce the suicide rate of LGBTQI+. individuals in Australia.
This April Prince Harry threw support behind transgender youth. Supporting the charity, Mermaids. A Royal Foundation spokesperson told the NBC news that Heads Together meets with groups like Mermaids “to best understand the issues young people are dealing with today, and gain a clear understanding of what support is being made available.”
Her Majesty the Queen plegded in 2017 to protect the LGBT+ community during her speech at the state opening of Parliament. She vowed to “tackle” discrimination.
Prince William pledged his support for LGBT rights on Commonwealth Day in 2018 and was honoured at the LGBT Awards for supporting community in May of 2017. He also became the first Royal to pose for LGBT Magazine, Attitude in 2016.
LGBTQI+ rights have come a long way and there’s still more to go. The Duke and Duchess staying true to their word. With their public display of support; they have put a spotlight on the cause and shown their commitment.
