It’s been five decades since the Stonewall uprising of June 28th, 1969. A day that perhaps changed the discourse of LGBTQ+ rights forever. The Stonewall uprising may have started as a demonstration against a police raid in a New-York bar, but what followed caused a tide of various such events that have shaped the history of the later 20th century, not only in the United States but all over the world.
But has it really brought a change of attitude in our country too? Most would argue yes it has, even I would (in spite of however minuscule it may be). It may have not brought a change in the attitudes of some people whose inhibitions are still largely homophobic, but it has brought a change in the psyche of our judicial system, where ten months ago, it struck down a 157-year-old colonial law criminalizing sex between consenting adults on the basis of something as subjective as the “order of nature”. It may have taken our country a long time before Section 377 was taken to court to decide on its constitutional validity, but I believe that the time has never been more relevant than now, when the right-wing nationalism is on the rise.
Moving on to why the fiftieth anniversary of the Stonewall uprising matters and what its implication for a town on the other hemisphere and supposedly progressive means, indeed the uprising of 1969 in New York has inspired several other LGBTQ+ rights and liberation movements throughout the world, but has it really reverberated to Shillong and does it matter? But firstly, this article does not intend to be an argument for imposing “western culture”, whatever that may mean in relation to LGBTQIA+ rights in Shillong.
The fiftieth anniversary of the Stonewall uprising matters because we are honouring and commemorating the past struggle and efforts of people persecuted simply for being themselves. Though Pride Month is a celebration of queer activists who have fought bravely against the discrimination of queer people, it should also be a time for identifying and actively combating anti-queer persecution still prevalent in our country and particularly in Shillong. As we do this, we must help our queer siblings across the world who still face hatred on a daily basis.
Shillong’s need for Stonewall isn’t the need for a violent police raid to catalyze an uprising of the masses; it is the need for us to start recognizing that queer people exist and are as equal as anyone else. It is the need for us to shake social establishments which stigmatize and promulgate hate and intolerance. It is the need for us to question tribal political establishments and politicians who discriminate against transgender people, whose parochial and cynical attitudes seek to, serve their self interests instead of working towards community integration and inclusiveness. It is the need for us to ensure that the schools and colleges do not promote hatred and bigotry but ensure that our kids and our fellow siblings, too, enjoy a safe learning environment.
Our support for the LGBTQIA+ community must not end after June. The queer community and its allies must continue pushing for legislative changes and queer protection policies. Though the recognition of the rights of queer people and their fight for identity has grown exponentially we must ensure that fight not only endures, but also thrives. That is why we have Pride.