We usually celebrate June as Pride Month with joy and excitement.

  However Pride
Month 2020 has started on a much more difficult note. We’ve spent the last few months
quarantined in our homes trying to slow a pandemic. We’ve experienced the highest
unemployment rate since The Great Depression, and many self-employed individuals
are struggling to keep their businesses open. To add to all that, this past weekend,
protests and riots raged all over the country sparked by the abhorrent treatment
of Christan Cooper and the murder of George Floyd last week. It’s hard to feel hopeful or
celebratory amid so much pain, turmoil and unrest. 

It may be helpful to remember that we have been here before. Throughout history,
periods of upheaval moments have often given birth to genuine progress and change. 
Pride Month commemorates one such time, where riots and protests created awareness
of deep-seated problems and energized people to take action to create substantial
change. So as the crowds march and the fires burn in many cities like Minneapolis,
Atlanta, Philadelphia and my hometown Chicago, this feels like the perfect opportunity
to revisit the history behind the Pride Month and use some lessons from it to move
forward today. 

The Catalyst

In the early morning of June 28th, 1969, eight officers from the New York City’s Public
Morals Division, a unit of the police department, raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in
New York City’s Greenwich Village. This raid wasn’t unusual in New York (or many
other cities). Back then, the Public Morals Division enforced all laws for vice and
gambling, including prostitution, narcotics and homosexuality. Cops could arrest and
even force hospitalization of gay people.

On this particular evening, however, the bar patrons fought back. It started when
Marsha P. Johnson cried “I got my civil rights!” and threw a shot glass into a mirror
(now known as “the Shot Glass that was Heard Around the World”). More and more
patrons joined the fight, including people from neighboring bars, and mayhem ensued.
Hundreds of people resisted arrest and fought against police oppression. Rioters broke
windows, set cars on fire and injured three police officers. The police ended up
barricading themselves inside the Stonewall Inn.

New York City’s Tactical Patrol Force intervened, but even they were run out of the
neighborhood by the rioters. Things eventually calmed down. But once the word got out
about the riots, thousands returned the next night to continue the protest. The protest
lasted six days.

Increasing Our Pride

Stonewall was not the start of the LGBTQ movement.  LGBTQ activists have been
organizing since at least the 1920s. But the rage and fervor caused by the Stonewall riots
helped catapult the LGBTQ movement to a new level.
Media coverage of the riots allowed others to see the LGBTQ struggle for themselves and
to relate to and support those fighting for their rights. Events at Stonewall emboldened
others to do what they could to help.

The following year, the anniversary of the Stonewall riots was marked by
demonstrations in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. At first, the New
York City day of celebration was called “Christopher Street Liberation Day.” In Los
Angeles and San Francisco, these events became known as “Gay Freedom Marches,” and
the day was called “Gay Freedom Day.”  Chicago had Gay Pride Week.

The parades were a mix of politics and celebration. They promoted visibility of the
LGBTQ community. They also served as a huge megaphone for LGBTQ needs and rights
— like protection against harassment, raising awareness of the AIDS epidemic or
fighting for marriage equality. They gave a growing LGBTQ movement a voice and, as
support grew, that voice began to be heard.

The culture shifted in the 1980s, as less radical activists began taking over the march
committees in different cities.  They dropped “Gay Liberation” and “Gay Freedom” from
the names, replacing them with “Gay Pride.”

 LGBTQ Rights Today

The first few marches drew only a few hundred people, but the Pride Parades today
include hundreds of thousands. In fact, the Chicago Pride Festivals have had crowds of
more than one million people since 2013.  

We’ve come a long way from the police brutality and stigmatization of the 1970s. We’ve
also made it through the AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 1990s. The parades have long
been the voice and coming together of the LGBTQ community to celebrate our lives.

For seven straight years, from 2009 through 2016, President Obama officially declared
June as LGBT Pride month. Today we can get married and legally adopt children in all
50 states.

While there have been some huge gains, we still have a ways to go. For the LGBTQ
community specifically, financial planning is still different. You can still legally be fired
in 28 states for being LGBT. The Trump administration has proven time and again that
it does not want to take our rights into consideration, especially when it comes to trans
rights. 

Lessons We Can Use 

The fact that the fight for both LGBTQ and racial equality has been going on for
centuries and may be going on for centuries more feels overwhelming, especially for
those of us in both camps. We won’t be able to fix everything at once. But there are
lessons that we have learned from the past, that can help us take on each moment as it
comes. 
Tell your story 

Creating more awareness around the injustices of today has become more important
than ever. People of color and the LGBTQ community have known and experienced this
hurt for a long time. But as we saw with the coverage of the Stonewall riots and the most
recent riots, increased awareness can have a mobilizing effect. This awareness, if
accepted at the emotional level, can lead to effective action. One way to create that
emotional level acceptance is through personal stories. 

We’ve seen throughout history how powerful coming out has caused our families,
friends and neighbors to act. And as a friend pointed out this weekend, “it changes
people to know someone and enough changed people, changes the world.” 

I encourage you to tell your story. Let those around you see how moments like this
deeply affect you on an emotional level. The LGBTQ movement was shaped by stories
like Frank Kameny  and Jack Nichols who picketed the White House in the nation’s first
major gay rights protest in 1965. People like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, who
rallied the rioters at Stonewall, helped empower other people to stand up as
well. Brenda Howard, known as the ”Mother of Pride”, in her work in coordinating the
first Pride March, started a movement that later touches millions of lives. These stories
have caused a ripple effect that has led to substantial change.  

Keep in mind “telling your story” doesn’t apply to just those within the community. It
will take more than just those of us directly affected by discrimination to correct a
problem of this magnitude. That means those who are not directly affected need to stand
up for those who are. Telling those around you about your desire to see change and
action will have a significant impact on those around you. And whether you like it or
not, standing silently on the sidelines also says a lot.  

Keep the focus on you 

We can’t control everything that’s going wrong in the world. It’s easy to get discouraged
about the lack of coordinated effort from our federal, state and local governments or
a President fanning the flames of division or some groups using protests as an
opportunity to create unrest.  But let’s not get stuck feeling helpless.  While we are in
this together and change will have to come from the collective, in moments like these, I
keep the focus on me. 

I use what I call my three commitments — three commitments I can make to help with
the problem. Here are mine: 

1. Increase awareness of this inequity through my various platforms

2. Provide as much information and education as possible to help 

3. Help connect people to resources that can help them through difficult times like
this 
May 20, 2020,01:45pm EDT

The Best Mattress Sales You’ll Find This Memorial Day

Forbes and/or the author may earn a commission on sales made from links on this page.

If you need a new mattress or you’ve been wanting to upgrade the one you already have, now is
definitely the time to do so. Of the many incredible Memorial Day sales you can shop from this
year, some of the best deals you’ll find will be on mattresses, mattress toppers, and luxury bed
linens.

Countless hours in a lifetime are spent in our beds, and having a great mattress can be the
difference between restful sleep and tossing and turning all night. A big purchase that normally
requires a splurge, buying a mattress through a memorial day sale is an opportunity to save
yourself hundreds of dollars.

HELIX SLEEP

And just because you’re shopping at a discount doesn’t mean you can’t have one of the best
mattresses money can buy. Several of the most popular mattress brands are offering sales right
now, including Purple, Helix, Casper and others. A handful of retailers are offering extra perks
like free pillows with the purchase of a new mattress, which is a great whether you’re starting
from scratch or upgrading your bedroom. And just in case you want to upgrade your bedding
while you’re at it, we’ve also listed sales from some of our favorite luxury linen companies too.

The Best Memorial Day Mattress Deals

Layla: Take $150 off of Layla’s memory foam mattresses or $200 off hybrid mattresses now
through May 25. You’ll also receive two free pillows with your purchase of a discounted
mattress. 

Tempur-Pedic: Now until June 1, you can save up to $500 on select adjustable bases and
mattress sets.

Birch: Take $200 off any Birch mattress using code MDW200 now through May 25. 

Casper: Take 10% off your entire order now through June 1 using code MEMDAY10. 
Helix: Now through May 25, take $100 off any mattress purchase, $150 off of orders $1,250 and
more as well as $200 off of orders $1,750 or more using code MDW100, MDW150 and
MDW200, respectively. You’ll also receive 2 free dream pillows along with the graduated
savings. 
LAYLA

Layla Memory Foam Queen Mattress

BUY FROM LAYLA

Save $150 plus get two free pillows during the Memorial Day sales event.

PlushBeds: Take up to $1,250 off of PlushBeds’ organic latex mattresses plus 2 free organic
latex pillows as well as a free sheet set and mattress protector using code MEMORIAL20.
Additionally, you can take up to $600 off of memory foam mattresses with the same code now
until June 1. 

Eco Terra: Use code SALE175 to take $175 mattresses now through May 26.  

Avocado Green Mattress: Take $200 off all Green, Vegan and Luxe Crib mattresses at
Avocado using code WEHONOR200. Verified educators, doctors, nurses and military can
receive an additional $50 off mattresses, and you can take $150 off bed frames using code
BED150. Last but not least, code 2FREEPILLOWS will get you two free Green, Molded Latex
or Meditation pillows with any mattress purchase. All offers are valid now through June 1.

Bear Mattress: Take 20% off site-wide now through May 26 using code MDW20. You’ll
receive two free cloud pillows with every mattress or bundle purchase. All military and first
responders can take 25% off through Bear’s partnership with ID.me. 

Allswell: Now through May 25, use code MEM20 to take 20% off Allswell’s luxe and supreme
mattresses.

Saatva: Now through May 25, take $200 off any purchase of $1,000 or more. Offer applies to
luxury mattresses, bedding, as well as bed frames and more.   

Macy’s: Take 20-60% off all mattresses, and take an extra 10% off select options with code
MEMDAY. Many offers include a free adjustable base.

Purple: Now through May 26, take up to $400 off when you buy a mattress and sleep bundle.  

The Best Sales on Bedding, Sheets, and Bed Linens

Brooklinen: Take 15% off the site’s luxurious sheets, blankets, and other bedroom essentials
during the Memorial Day sales event. Some exclusions apply.

Boll & Branch: Take 10% off of regularly priced items with the code GOODNESS, and Boll &
Branch will use 10% of the proceeds of the discounted purchase to fund the manufacture of
mattresses and pillows that Boll & Branch LLC (“Boll & Branch”) will donate to emergency
medical operations.

The Company Store: Take 20% off sitewide with the code MDWKD20.

West Elm: Take up to 40% off all bedding and bedding sets, in addition to a sitewide “buy more,
save more” ladder sale: Take 10% off $100 or more; take 15% off $250 or more; take 20% off
$500 or more; and take 25% off purchases of $1500 or more.

Send me a secure tip.

Ciannah Gin
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