Opinion: Pride Month celebrates the enduring hope of those who refused to disappear

As Pride Month begins, many in the LGBTQ+ community are carrying a mix of emotions. For some, this season brings joy, celebration, and connection. For others, it arrives alongside frustration, uncertainty, and concerns as we witness a relentless wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, harmful rhetoric, and efforts to erase or diminish the dignity of our communities.  

To acknowledge these realities is not to surrender to them. Rather, it is an opportunity to remember who we are and where we come from. It is a time to remember the enduring spirit that has carried us forward.  

Pride has never been solely about celebration. Long before rainbow merchandise appeared in storefronts, LGBTQ+ people were organizing and demanding the right to love openly and authentically. From the Compton’s Cafeteria riot to the Stonewall uprising and beyond, Pride emerged from communities that refused to disappear. It was born from courage, sustained by love, and fueled by the conviction that every person deserves to live with dignity and belonging.  

That spirit remains with us today.  

As members of the United Church of Christ, and the wider community, we also draw strength from a legacy of faithful witness. For decades, the UCC has stood alongside LGBTQ+ people, affirming the sacred worth of every person. That work continues today as we create a more just and inclusive world. While our journey is not complete, our commitment remains steadfast.  

In moments such as these, it can be tempting to focus solely on the challenges before us. Yet Pride invites us to do something more. It calls us to celebrate the beauty, resilience, creativity, and diversity that LGBTQ+ people bring to our congregations, families, communities, and movements for justice.  It reminds us that joy is not the absence of struggle, but often one of our most powerful responses to it.  

For LGBTQ+ people reading these words: We belong. We are beloved.

Our presence enriches the communities we are a part. No errors have been made. The ink didn’t dry when we were added to the scroll of life.  

For allies: Your witness matters.

Pride is more than a month on the calendar. It is an opportunity to continue creating communities where LGBTQ+ people are not merely welcomed but celebrated; not merely included, but empowered to flourish. It is a reminder to speak out against injustice, to show up with courage, and to come alongside those whose dignity and humanity are too often called into question.  

As we celebrate Pride this month, may we do so with both joy and resolve. May we honor those who came before use by continuing the work of building communities rooted in love, justice, and belonging. May we remember that the call to affirm and support LGBTQ+ people does not end when June is over.  

The challenges before us are real, and so is our resolve and hope.  

We come from a long line of people who refused to give up on themselves, on one another, and on the possibility of a more just world. May we carry that same spirit forward, celebrating boldly, loving deeply, and continuing to show up for one another, today and throughout the year.  

Schmian Evans serves as the Minister for Women and Gender Justice in the National Ministries of the United Church of Christ. A lifelong learner and justice-centered leader, she brings academic depth shaped by degrees in Gender Studies (California State University, Stanislaus), Women and Gender Studies (San Francisco State University), and a Master of Divinity from the Pacific School of Religion. She is currently pursuing her Doctor of Ministry at Union Theological Seminary.

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