As we enter June, we should take a moment to recognize the perseverance and community that the LGBTQ+ movement has created in Las Vegas. From a small, fearful community of gay bars and well-kept secrets, to an extraordinary feat of pride and confidence to not only be yourself, but to strive and to reach higher and higher.
Pioneers include Marge Jacques, who fought for same-sex couples to dance in her club; Christine Jorgensen, the first transgender woman to make a name for herself in the nightclub scene in Vegas; the people who set the footprints for gay representation and rights, on top of many, many others, who stood strong in the face of prejudice.
To celebrate in pride month is to celebrate the other LGBTQ+ advocates and protesters who do not get to celebrate this year. It’s for the gay people who didn’t feel like they could be themselves, the ones who couldn’t show their true identities.
Forty-five percent of LGBTQ+ youth have considered suicide in the past year, and 14 percent have attempted to end their lives. For the closeted trans kids, and the ones who cannot hold hands in public, as well as those who are treated differently for something they cannot control, we must be here for each other, to celebrate each other and uplift our community. We must be Vegas Strong.
