Since 1970, June has been Pride month — a time for the global LGBTQIA+ community to honor their resistance, build acceptance and celebrate equality.
And Pride matters: It can change attitudes, even in conservative places. A study on the first Pride event in Bosnia-Herzegovina showed that the 2019 march boosted acceptance in Sarajevo (supporters for Pride increased from 43% to 52%).
In some places around the world, celebrating Pride can be extremely dangerous — like in Uganda, which has seen brutal police crackdowns on Pride protesters.
That’s because in many places, it’s illegal to be gay. There are least 69 countries around the world that criminalize homosexuality. And at least nine outlaw certain forms of gender expression. The sentences can range from fines, to imprisonment, to the death penalty.
This year, Pride is happening once again in the middle of the pandemic. So, let’s talk about COVID-19 and how it’s impacted LGBTQIA+ young people. Because as we all know, COVID-19 didn’t play fair — existing inequalities left certain groups more affected by the pandemic than others, and that includes the LGBTQIA+ community.
How did COVID-19 affect LGBTQIA+ young people?
Facing stigma and legal discrimination, finding jobs can be difficult for LGBTQIA+ young people, making them more likely to struggle with poverty. They also have higher rates of illiteracy, since bullying at school leads many LGBTQIA+ students to drop out. They often lack access to social support and health services, and may be unwelcome in their own communities. Even hospitals might not be safe spaces for them.
And unfortunately, over the past year and a half, COVID-19 made things even worse.
In times of crisis, discrimination against LGBTQIA+ people often intensifies, and this pandemic was no different — reports of violence and abuse are up. As many LGBTQIA+ young people were forced to quarantine with families that don’t accept their identities, abuse often happened right in their own homes.
There is also a surge in reports of LGBTQIA+ young people experiencing homelessness, food insecurity and mental health issues because of the pandemic.
COVID-19 relief is not always equally accessible either. Some young people may not have the identification cards needed, or avoid services fearing they’ll face violence or discrimination.
At Plan International, we believe that it’s crucial that COVID-19 response programs be designed in a way that’s inclusive to the LGBTQIA+ community. That’s why we’re taking the necessary steps to ensure that LGBTQIA+ young people won’t be left behind during the pandemic.
How about some good news?
Pride is a celebration after all, so let’s not forget about some of the recent wins around the world.
President Biden signed a foreign policy memo that recommits the U.S. to protecting global gay rights. And this month, U.S. embassies in other countries can once again fly the Pride flag.
In Greece, Nicholas Yatromanolakis became the country’s first openly gay government minister. His message to LGBTQIA+ young people is to dream big, because there’s nothing they can’t achieve.
And marriage equality exists in 29 countries now, with Costa Rica and Switzerland joining the list in 2020, and legalization possibly coming this year in Chile, the Czech Republic, Japan, the Philippines and Thailand.
It’s been a challenging year for the LGBTQIA+ community, and on an international scale, we still have a very long way to go before equality is fully realized. But progress is still being made every day for and by this community, and that’s worth celebrating.
