#Pride matters, now more than ever

I wish I could meet the folks who originally gave the #Pride movement its name and share a long-overdue thanks.

Because anyone who’s ever been singled out by those who see uniqueness as a weakness knows full well what it feels like to have to keep yourself below the radar.

You find yourself wanting to hide who you are. You avoid sharing details about yourself for fear it’ll invite more scrutiny. You keep your head down and cringe when you hear people begin to single you out because of who you are. Or more precisely, who they think you are, misguided as they may be.

You fear what makes you you. Rather, you fear people finding out. It’s the opposite of pride, because the last thing you’d ever want to do is call yourself out, or draw attention to yourself. Because you never know.

But that’s the beauty of the Pride movement. It reinforces the need to never live in fear because of who we are. It reminds us that we’re all part of the solution no matter what labels we may or may not carry. It reaffirms why we can never be silent when our fellow humans are being singled out. It ensures we all have the right to love and be loved, and no one else has the right to stand in our way.

It’s especially important now, at this moment in history. But let’s not kid ourselves: This has always mattered, and it always will. And we make this planet a better place by opening our eyes, by using our voices, by acting.

I count myself lucky to work side-by-side with colleagues at @infotechRG who have always made this a priority.

Because we’re all better people by not only having pride in ourselves, but in also embracing it in those whose lives touch ours.

Because we’re either human. Or we aren’t. And silence has no place here.

#pridemonth2020 #prideatwork #lgbtq #diversitymatters #PrideToronto #PrideLdn2020 #itrg