June represents not only the celebration of Pride but also the celebration of marriage. The entire month of June, I am deeply reminded that there is a community of people who support and embrace me no matter who I love and no matter who I am. Pride Month also now includes one of the most historical moments of our lifetime: the legalization of same-sex marriage in all 50 states which took place on June 26th, 2015.
One year later, I had the opportunity to marry my best friend on June 25th, 2016. We both knew that our wedding was not only about celebrating our unity, but also celebrating our community. We knew that around the country, new marriages, partnerships, and unions were being recognized legally, freely, but most importantly people felt seen. Our community’s love felt heard. And so every June, we get to celebrate not only our marriage, but our community and ourselves.
Milestones have been met but the fight for equality will always continue. So no better quote for Pride Month than the following:
“Love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love, cannot be killed or swept aside.” -Lin-Manuel Miranda
Nourishing Hope Social Worker, Taneka Taylor, and her wife, Samantha.