Beyond the Parade
Pride is more than a parade in June. It’s a 365-day declaration that we’re here and we’re not going anywhere. The spirit of Pride was born in resistance on a hot summer night in 1969 when the patrons of the Stonewall Inn, led by trailblazers like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, stood their ground against police harassment, transforming what began as a riot into a revolution. While we’ve traded brick-throwing for banner-waving, the fight to keep Pride’s flame burning is far from over. We must continuously honor the history while engaging in ongoing activism, creating spaces for community celebration, amplifying marginalized voices within the community, and remembering that our authentic existence itself is an act of resistance in a world that too often tries to erase us.
Wearing Your Values
Creators on platforms like Zazzle are breaking boundaries with designs that celebrate every corner of our rainbow community. We asked the Independent Creators who identify as a member or an ally of this community to a few important Pride-related questions. Here are some of their responses!
What do you wish more people understood about the deeper meaning and significance of Pride?
“I wish more people understood that Pride is not just about celebration. It’s about visibility, acceptance, and the right to live authentically without fear. It honors the struggles, resilience, and love of the LGBTQ+ community. Pride is a reminder that everyone deserves to feel safe, valued, and free to express who they truly are. It’s not just a month, it’s a movement rooted in equality, dignity, and hope. Pride represents courage, healing, and the journey toward self-acceptance, something every soul deserves. It honors those who fought for freedom and reminds us that love, in all its forms, is divine. Supporting Pride is supporting humanity, compassion, and the truth that we all belong.. just hearts choosing each other. No rules. No limits. Just love being love.”
“Pride isn’t a weekend of rainbow décor; it’s a living archive of resistance and repair. Every march echoes the first bricks thrown at Stonewall, and every glittered step since then says, “We’re still writing the footnotes of that uprising.”
What impact do you hope your Pride-inspired designs have on the people who see them, wear them, or buy them?
“I hope that when people wear clothing or display items that promote acceptance and inclusion, it encourages not only members of the LGBTQIA+ community to feel safe living their lives authentically, but also encourages potential or “quiet” allies to step up and voice their love and support, as well.”
“Over recent years, there has been a huge expansion in the way that people identify – both their gender and sexuality. My shop provides representation for 20 different Pride flags, this gives individuals the ability to self-identify in many different ways. One of my favorite designs is the Butterfly Trail, Butterflies come out of their cocoon transformed, much like individuals that emerge from the closet in all of their beauty. Here is the link for the Androgynous Pride colored Butterfly Train design.” https://www.zazzle.com/beautiful_butterfly_androgynous_pride_design_t_shirt-256778928299234454“
What’s a meaningful way people can show support for the LGBTQ+ Community?
“Advocating for us. Speaking up for us in the places where we aren’t, and letting us speak when we are in those places. In a time like this, where queer rights are under fire, we need as many people to understand that our rights are everyone else’s rights.”
“First and foremost, people should educate themselves on the matter. It’s more than just an acronym. It’s their sexuality and how they identify themselves or their partner. It’s always important for friends and family to show support to those who may identify themselves within the LGBTQ+ rights community by loving them as they are, respecting their pronouns, and attending community events by their side to show support so they know they’re not alone and truly loved as they identify themselves.”
What’s your biggest hope for the future of Pride and LGBTQ+ Community?
“Sincerely, my biggest hope for Pride’s future – and for any day that’s solely dedicated to a marginalized group–is that someday, we won’t require it. Just like I wish for International Women’s Day, I earnestly desire a future in which true equality and inclusion are so profoundly ingrained in our culture that we don’t need to devote a special month to reminding everyone that LGBTQ+ individuals are worthy of respect, safety, and love. Until then, Pride’s so vital–and I’ll just keep on being there.”
“I hope we’ll stay extraordinary even as we become ordinary.”
Knowledge Is Power
Education isn’t a one-and-done deal but an ongoing commitment to understanding both the past struggles and present challenges within the LGBTQIA+ community. Pick up Leslie Feinberg’s Stone Butch Blues (2004) to understand transphobia before the term was coined, read How We Fight for Our Lives (2019) by Saeed Jones to explore the intersection of race and queerness, and watch documentaries like Paris Is Burning (1990) or Disclosure (2020) to witness how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go, building a foundation of knowledge that enables you to respond effectively when someone claims LGBTQIA+ discrimination is “a new issue.”
The beauty of this knowledge is that it spreads beyond personal enlightenment, becoming a powerful tool for community advocacy and historical preservation. When you share what you’ve learned about events like the Lavender Scare or the early transgender activists who led the Stonewall uprising, you’re not just accumulating facts but participating in the vital work of collective memory and resistance. Knowledge isn’t just power; it’s protection, community care, and sometimes, for the most vulnerable among us, it’s survival in itself.
Showing Up
Channel the spirit of Stonewall’s demonstrators through modern-day activism, recognizing that while not everyone can be on the frontlines, everyone can contribute meaningfully. Call your representatives when anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation appears, volunteer with organizations like The Trevor Project or local LGBTQIA+ youth centres, donate to bail funds for the trans community, share fundraisers for gender-affirming care, sign petitions, attend rallies, and amplify queer voices, especially those more marginalized than your own.
Remember that celebration itself is resistance. Mark your calendar for days beyond Pride Month, host film screenings for occasions like Bi Visibility Day, hold candlelight vigils for Transgender Day of Remembrance, and create spaces for both joy and remembrance throughout the year. By combining both direct action and communal celebration, you honor the legacy of past activists while building a more inclusive future for all.
Forever Fierce
Pride doesn’t end when the parade floats are packed away. It’s a promise that we’ll keep fighting until every member of our community can live authentically and safely. The ancestors who risked everything to forge this path, and the generations counting on us, deserve our unwavering commitment. So keep that rainbow brightness burning all year long, through grand gestures and small daily acts of support. The world needs nothing less than our fierce, enduring love.
Meg is a Content Specialist at Zazzle in Cork. Born and bred Corkonian. An avid animal lover with two cats named Beamish and Biscuit, a dog named Fudge, a fish called Panda and a fiancé called Leigh. Favorite pastimes include wearing anything animal print, vintage and charity shopping, venturing down the rabbit-hole on niche conspiracy theories, reading books and board games.
