Pride is the unwavering conviction that every person deserves to live, work, and love without fear. It is joy in defiance of those who would deny it, community in defiance of those who would isolate, and visibility in defiance of those who would erase.
And at a moment in time when our LGBTQ+ community is once again under attack by policies that threaten their rights and lawmakers who use their lives as political pawns, we will not remain silent as we stand shoulder to shoulder in support of our queer friends, family, neighbors, and members.
Queer people have always been at the forefront of revolutionary change. The movements we all benefit from today – including the labor movement – were shaped and led in part by LGBTQ+ organizers who refused to wait for permission to demand a better world.
We owe so much to figures like Bayard Rustin, strategist behind the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, whose activism helped lay the groundwork for the rights and freedoms we have today. We honor leaders like Bayard who understood that workers' rights and human rights are one and the same, who built solidarity across movements, and who showed us what's possible when we fight together.
LGBTQ+ leaders in labor have pushed unions to be more inclusive, shaping workplace policies that uplift all workers, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation. From healthcare equity to anti-discrimination protections, their efforts have left a lasting impact.
The bravery and advocacy of these workers not only transformed the workplace but also helped pave the way for a more inclusive, equitable society – one that is now under attack, and one we are organized to defend.
None of us are free until all of us are. That belief is the heart of the labor movement, and it's the conviction we carry into the fight for liberation.
AFT Maryland is proud to stand with our LGBTQ+ members, who have always been on the frontlines with us, fighting for the rights and freedoms of all our members and every Marylander.
Happy Pride Month.
In Solidarity,
Kenya Campbell
President, AFT Maryland