Things get better, until they don't.

We are a few weeks away from June, International Pride Month, and I am in a pissy mood. I’ve been married to my husband for 15 years. We live in a country and neighborhood where we are accepted. We have the same rights and responsibilities as every other citizen. On the 7th of June, the city’s canals will be lined with people of all walks of life enjoying the sunshine and the procession of Pride-themed boats floating down Oudegracht. We’re lucky and happy, luckier and happier than any of the millions of queer men and women unlucky enough to be born in one of seventy-one countries where their existence is illegal.

So why am I in a pissy mood on this sunny spring afternoon? Every second article I read seems to be about some reactionary victory, push-back against every millimetre of social progress made in the 56 years since Stonewall. Yes, we don’t live in the same world in which Stonewall took place; things are vastly different. Yet, I cannot escape this feeling of existential dread, that something is brewing just under the surface; a malodorous cloud of decay seeping through the cracks in our society.

The highest court in the UK has recently ruled that trans women can be excluded from 'single-sex spaces' if it is deemed 'proportionate,' effectively stripping them of their right to be legally recognised as the gender they identify with, even if they possess government-issued documentation. This raises several questions: What does 'proportionate' mean in this context? Can a trans woman use the bathroom at a train station? Can she change at a gym? Should trans women prisoners be housed with men? Who determines what is proportionate? Not even the Labour government seems to know. While JK Rowling, her TERF disciples, and the far-right trolls celebrate the ruling, thousands of trans kids across the UK got the message loud and clear - you don’t belong, you should not exist, you are something we cannot even name. Trans adults who thought their existence was finally recognised with a modicum of acceptance and legal certainty got the rug pulled out from under them.

In the Netherlands, statistics are showing that for the first time in generations, acceptance of homosexuality is on the decline, especially among younger people, specifically young men. Religion and culture play a role, as does the rise of neo-fascism spurred on by cultural cancers the likes of Andrew Tate, Joe Rogan, and Jordan Peterson.

Then there’s the USA. I read this morning that the assault on marriage equality has kicked off in full force again, with the Iowa state senate calling for the overturn of the US Supreme Court ruling that gave American same-sex partnerships legal status in 2015. This is just the opening salvo in what is sure to be a full assault on queer rights in the broadest sense.

Friends, storm clouds are gathering on the horizon. We need to be prepared. Individually, we might not be directly affected by any of this. We might think it is someone else’s battle, or a drama playing out in some far-away place. The reality is that when the rights of a small group of people can be stripped away with little or no resistance from the majority, the next group will be targeted with even more enthusiasm, and violence will not be far behind. The diversity of the LGBTQI+ community is its strength and holds its beauty, but it is also the source of division. Racism, transphobia, and classism are just as relevant and sometimes even more pronounced in our community. We need to do better. The only way to effectively stand our ground is through solidarity and, when needed, mutual aid.

We can rely on our straight allies and friends, but ultimately this is, and has always been, our battle to win.

There is much to be worried about and, frankly, to be in a pissy mood over. We were supposed to be past all of this shit - it’s 2025 after all. But let’s not allow any of this to steal our joy. Pride month will be a time of celebration and protest. Put on your war paint disguised as glitter and make-up. Don your armour of hot pants and glad rags. Take up space, be seen, and let your voice be heard. Be proud of who you are and take care of those standing next to you. We will be ready when the time comes.

Happy Pride Month.