There is much to anticipate in June.
Named after Juno, the Roman goddess of youth and protection, June contains the summer solstice (the day with the most daylight hours) and serves as the national month for many noteworthy issues.
It seems only fitting then that June is known as the time schools let out for the summer, when campaigns launch to spread awareness and raise funds for mental, physical, and social initiatives, such as ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease), national safety (by making efforts to reduce the leading causes of unintentional injury and death), and LGBTQIA2S+ (also known as Pride).
It wasn’t too long ago that there was confusion and frustration when last-minute announcements pushed back the start of school due to the global pandemic. Many thought that schools should be open to foster physical, mental, and developmental health and that more safety protocols should already have been in place throughout the various school districts. The consequences of the unprecedented magnitude of the pandemic-inflicted education crisis are insurmountable.
Speaking of insurmountable, people living with mental, physical, and social difficulties live with insurmountable problems that are sometimes too difficult or too great to overcome.
Hence why awareness campaigns seek to address groups of people or address issues affected by a particular situation, with the ultimate aim to inform and hopefully affect societal change. Changes that have occurred over time (and continue to change) – in human interactions and relationships transform cultural and social institutions, and often have profound and long-term consequences for society.
For example, although LGBTQIA2S+ people face marginalization and repression, the world is embracing a more inclusive view of individual rights and freedoms, especially in the realm of marriage equality, and is making a remarkable shift in attitudes towards gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people.
Pride Month is a time to celebrate the diversity of the LGBTQIA2S+ community while acknowledging the history, the hardships they have endured, and the progress that has been made.
Progress such as decriminalizing homosexual acts between consenting adults (1969), homosexuality no longer being considered a ‘disorder’ (1973), the formation of ‘queer’ groups to provide support and social networks (1977-78), the Immigration Act lifting a ban prohibiting homosexuals from immigration (1978), programs to combat anti-gay discrimination and violence (1985), the move towards equality – wherein the Parliamentary Committee on Equality Rights recommended that the Canadian Human Rights Act be changed to make it illegal to discriminate based on sexual orientation (1985), legislation that makes providing, promoting or advertising of conversation therapy a criminal offense (2021), and so much more.
But if anticipating the month of June looks different for you than some of the initiatives I’ve highlighted, then I hope you take advantage of activities that are available to do during the summer solstice and take time to get excited about the days ahead.
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Jacqueline Biollo is a regular contributor to Ladies Corner Canada Media. She is a government relations consultant who is passionate about advocating for changes that impact where we live, work, play, and invest. In createconnectionconnectionconnectionconnectionconnectionsJune, you might find Jacqueline visiting an outdoor pool, enjoying a cold brew coffee, eating rhubarb pie, playing miniature golf, or spending nights out on her front porch with her cats. She encourages readers to see the possibility in their own lives and the potential in the world in which we live.
WODIL 2022 | Diversity, Inclusion and Equity with Hilda Fankah- Arthur
