For those of you who may not know, June is Pride Month. This is the month during which members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community come together and celebrate their differences. It is a time when they can promote equality, self-love and acceptance. Being such an important month for the community,  it is vital that members of the LGBTQ+ community can get support and acceptance from others while they fight for their rights. There are numerous different ways by which you can show your support as well.

The first way to show your support is to acknowledge that it is pride month. That shows the community that you are aware that it’s their month, and it also shows that you are aware of their community. There are many people who don’t know that June is pride month, so to recognize it and spread the word shows that you are acknowledging the LGBTQ+ community.

Photo: Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash

Another way to show your support is to have a rainbow flag or even wear a rainbow bracelet. Little things like this matter to the LGBTQ+ community. This can be a flag hanging on your bedroom wall, a flag hanging in your office, or even a wristband that’s visible on your wrist. Having something as small as a bracelet shows that you support the community and that you stand with them. This can also include wearing rainbow socks or even a rainbow belt.

Participating in LGBTQ+ events is a great way to show your support. Many cities hold pride parades every June for allies and members to come together and celebrate. Research your city’s pride parade and show up for support. Pride parades are important to the community. Showing up, especially dressed up or with supportive signs, is a great way to indicate that you stand with the community. There are always events going on for pride month so research what your city is doing and attend related events.

Donating to an LGBTQ+ organization is another amazing way to get involved and show your support. Some organizations include GLAAD, the Trevor Project and Trans Lifeline. If you’re unable to donate, you can also volunteer at events and organizations. This displays your eagerness to help and to be there for them.

One of the most influential ways you support the community is to speak up. If you see someone getting harassed or bullied because of their sexual preference, speak up. Members of the LGBTQ+ community get bullied on a daily basis, so if you see it happening, saying something can not only help the victim but also show to offenders that the LGBTQ+ community is united and intolerant of harassment. This will also show the community that there are people who care about helping them attain equal rights. By speaking up, chances are also likely that you’ll spark a chain reaction, inviting others to also step up when they witness ignorance or harassment. It’s also important that you listen to your LGBTQ+ friends and support them. Listening to your friends and being their shoulder to lean on when they struggle with being accepted is an often overlooked yet still great way to show that you care. If one of your friends mentions that they want to be called by a certain pronoun, it’s important that you listen to them and do as they wish. It’s simply insulting and offensive if you disregard their personal preferences for what they wish to be called.  If one of your friends mention that s/he doesn’t like when you say things like, “That’s so gay!" it’s important that you acknowledge that and refrain from saying that or other offensive slurs.

These are just some of the ways through which you can support the LGBTQ+ community. While these actions may seem small and even insignificant enough to be overlooked, they actually have a larger impact than one might imagine. Just by following these above steps, you can help make a difference for the community, and help the community make a difference.

My name is Linda Tran. I'm 24 years old from Boston and I'm majoring in Marketing with a concentration in Social Media at the Southern New Hampshire University. A fun fact about me is that I learned coding and HTML at the age of 11.