CR's July 10, 2026 Times Standard Article: CR is Committed to Standing Up Against Hate and Discrimination Even When it is Hard

Published on Jul 7 2026

In the past, in cities across the nation, it was common for police to raid bars and restaurants where LGBTQ+ people were known to congregate. One such raid occurred on June 28, 1969, when New York police dragged people out of the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village. This raid ignited several days of protests and violent clashes with the police. By the time the riots ended, the gay rights movement became front-page news. 

In June 1999, thirty years after the Stonewall Riots, President Bill Clinton officially designated June as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. President Obama adopted a more inclusive name in 2010: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month. He also honored Pride Month by establishing the 7.7-acre Stonewall National Monument, a historic district encompassing the Stonewall Inn, Christopher Park, and the surrounding streets where many believe the modern gay rights movement began.

Now Pride is in the news again. On June 25th of this year, the New York Post published a story titled “America’s deep political divide over Pride Month: How many in the US want celebrations canceled?” According to the article, in a new survey of two thousand Americans, seventeen percent believe that Pride Month should not be celebrated at all, and eight percent believe that it should be scaled back. By comparison, 28 percent believe Pride Month should be supported, and another 21 percent support the idea but say they do not care strongly about it in practice.

Early last month, President Trump issued proclamations recognizing National Homeownership Month, Flag Day and National Flag Week, and the 75th Anniversary of the White House Navy Mess. Conspicuously absent was Pride Month. This is the first time it has not been recognized since its designation by the Clinton administration in 1999.

While disappointing and disheartening, President Trump’s actions were not unexpected.

This is just one of many moves the President has made to marginalize the LGBT+ community. As well as taking action to end federal recognition of Pride Month, he has also prohibited the display of rainbow flags on federal buildings, removed the name of Harvey Milk, a politician and pioneering gay rights activist, from a Navy ship, and blocked transgender and nonbinary people from serving in the military, among other things. 

Last month, we saw a noticeable change in how some colleges and universities have adjusted or reduced public expressions of support for Pride Month. Some institutions deleted Pride Month social media posts, withdrew from local Pride events, or limited the display of Pride flags, often citing institutional neutrality policies, state legislation, or compliance with new restrictions on DEI-related activities. 

At CR, however, I am proud to say that we believe, in the face of fear, it is important that we stand up against hate and discrimination. We will not participate in the systematic erasure of LGBTQ+ history, and we will continue to fight for the equality of all people. We will stand together even when it is hard and requires us to step into discomfort. 

To College of the Redwoods, Pride Month is about historical truth, celebration, remembrance, and resilience.  Pride Month honors the past and gives us an opportunity to remind our college community of the struggle LGBTQ+ people went through to simply receive the same basic civil rights afforded to a majority of Americans. It encourages us to take a critical and candid look at the history of the LGBTQ+ civil rights movement. It continues to draw attention to the challenges people of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and other non-traditional orientations continue to face. 

My commitment to look fiercely toward the future and stand beside, behind, and with our LGBTQ+ community in solidarity and action was renewed when my granddaughter came out to me a few months ago. In the quiet of our conversation, I shared with her how much I love her and how honored I was that she saw me as a safe person to confide in. 

The conversation with my granddaughter reminded me how important it is for us to remember that Pride is about safety and dignity. It is about continuing that sacred work of building a world where my granddaughter and other LGBTQ+ people can live openly, safely, and fully. 

It also reinforced my belief that higher education has immense power to transform the world, one life at a time, and not just for the LBGTQ+ community, but for everyone in our society.