June marks the annual observance of Pride Month, a worldwide celebration with events and activism that support the LGBTQ community.
In this global community, I’m sure that all of us have a different experience related to the opportunity to be ourselves – it’s easy for some and quite difficult for others. It was not easy for me to discover that I was different 20 years ago. Nowadays, though, my first reaction would be, “Different?!”
Who has the right, or enough power to define the standard or what is “different”? We don’t have a standard, we are all different, and respect for each other is the best way to demonstrate what inclusion means. It is not about sexual orientation, gender, the color of our skin or from where we come. Inclusion is related to respect for individuality. Individuality could mean how we laugh, what we like to eat or how we dress. Respect for that individuality is the ability to see a person behind our biases. Inclusion is much more than tolerance; it is the sincere belief that even though we are all different, we still deserve the same rights.
I’m happy to come from a country where I was able to love and marry the person who I chose, and to work for a company where inclusion is one of our core values. My hope this Pride Month is that one day soon everyone across the globe can experience the same love and acceptance.
Happy 50 Years of Pride!!
