As we prepare for this year’s Pride season, we do so with fire in our hearts, the beat of resilience in our veins, and the unshakable knowledge that we are built for this fight. Pride is not just celebration, it’s survival. It’s resistance. It’s revolution.
The truth is, these are heavy times. Across the country, our community, especially our transgender siblings, continue to be targeted by violence, bigotry, and policies designed to erase us. From bomb threats at LGBTQ+ centers to book bans that try to erase our stories, the attacks are real, and the stakes are high. Fear-mongering voices in politics and media have fueled a wave of hatred that aims to isolate and silence us.
But they will not win. They don’t understand the depth of our strength.
We come from a family of revolution. We are the descendants of Stonewall, of protest lines and picket signs, of chosen families who have always found ways to survive, resist, and thrive. Revolution is written in our blood. We are not going anywhere.
And through it all, the steady heartbeat of queer joy, of life, of defiance continues. It always will. No matter who sits in power. No matter how loud their hate gets.
We deserve to thrive. To love. To dance. To build a world where every queer person can live free and full. We have already made history by simply existing. Now we must shape the future boldly, joyfully, and together.
Let our anger become action. Let our grief fuel our solidarity. Let our radical, messy, and beautiful love light the way forward.
This is our moment. And we’re just getting started.
With fierce Pride and revolutionary love,
Jim Sheppard
Co-Creator
QBurgh
