Around the world June is PRIDE month, a month that celebrates the beauty of the rainbow of identities in the 2SLGBTQ+ community. It’s also a time to celebrate the progress that’s been made and to honor the work of those who came before us for their decades of advocacy work, struggles and loss. It is thanks to these elders of our community that so many of us have the opportunity today to live openly and happily in our identities.

However, it’s also a month to remember how far we still have to go. In 2022, there are still countries in the world where being 2SLGBTQ+ means being persecuted, where who you love signs your death warrant, and where, as a casualty of war gay people are hunted and murdered. Then there are places, even in Canada and the United States where our progress is being pushed backwards because of bigotry and hate.  

It’s for all of these reasons - both good and bad - that we still need PRIDE, advocacy work, strong allies and our voices heard. This turns today’s post to the importance of representation.

In the context of today’s post, what I mean by representation is the importance of seeing people who look like us and share parts of our stories and experiences. At present and more than at any other point in history, there is a prevalence of authentically written 2SLGBTQ+ characters on the stage and in both television shows and movies. These stories also go far beyond the trope of coming out, showing 2SLGBTQ+ people living regular parts of the human condition, with family and friends who embrace them, being successful in their careers, falling in love, and having children through the beauty of surrogacy or adoption.

These are also the stories I wish I had been able to see told when I was growing up, because if I had I might have come out much sooner and saved myself years of being in the closet. In my adult life, I’ve also been fortunate to learn about the contributions of 2SLGBTQ+ people throughout history, and again to actually be able to see their stories be told through theatre and film. One of these is the great Howard Ashman.

Some of you might not know Howard’s name, but you know his music – he was the lyricist for songs like Part of Your World, Under the Sea, Belle, Beauty and The Beast, Prince Ali, Friend Like Me and many more. Howard along with Alan Menken were the song writing dynamic duo that literally saved Disney Studios from ruin in the late 80’s and on a wider scope, forever changed the structure of animated musicals and musical theatre.

At the end of 1992’s Beauty and The Beast is written in tribute: “To our friend Howard, who gave a mermaid her voice and a beast his soul, we will be forever grateful." I always thought this was such a touching note, and once I learned more of Howard’s story, it became so much more poignant. Even as I write this, I can feel the emotions it elicits. From previous posts, you might also remember how important both The Little Mermaid and Beauty and The Beast were to me growing up, and knowing I have Howard in part to thank for this means so much to me.

Howard unfortunately lost his life to AIDS at a time in history where being diagnosed was a death sentence, before there was decades of AIDS research and drugs that our community now has access to like PrEP. In case you’re unfamiliar with Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), it’s a pill that when taken regularly is highly effective at preventing HIV infection.

If you’re interested in learning more about Howard, check out the documentary of the same name on Disney+