By Patty Corkery
Over the last year I have had the privilege of serving as a member of the Michigan league’s/CUSG’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) team. This group is responsible for getting conversations started and creating opportunities for our team to support DEI initiatives in our community.
Our team is small and meeting each week for the past year – and participating in intimate and open conversations – has taught me so much about myself and what others unlike me face in their daily lives (if you have been thinking about starting a DEI group and would like to hear from us on how we got started and our initiatives, please let me know). Thank you Herman, Renuka, Olywn, Brad, Ariel and Amanda for showing your true selves and helping me become a better person.
Becoming involved in our DEI group has been the impetus for me to dig deeper this month as we all think about Pride Month and what it means. If you are like me, you see the social media posts from friends and companies and see the Pride t-shirts at Target, as well as a bunch of other retailers selling Pride swag. You hear the word “Ally” and believe you are one, but you remain on the surface and don’t really lean in to find out what it all means. Sometimes, you’re not sure if you’re saying the right thing or doing the right thing. That’s where I found myself as I contemplated what to say during this month of Pride, and I am certain I am not alone with my uncertainty.
A Google Search
If you Google “What is Pride Month?” you will see a host of articles and videos about gay pride and how the June celebration was started. You can read about the Stonewall Uprising of 1969, which was a series of events between LGBTQ+ protesters and police that lasted a week. Police raided a gay bar and people fought back. In 1969, homosexuality was considered a criminal offense and as such, many establishments, like the Stonewall Inn in NYC, operated without a liquor license, which provided an open door to police brutality and raids. Several people were arrested at the Stonewall Inn after a police raid in June of 1969, resulting in mass protests around the country and translating into the birth of the gay liberation movement. The first Pride march was held on June 28, 1970, marking the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising.
Coming back to current times, we all observe this month’s Pride parades, marches and rainbow flags as well as companies issuing support statements for the cause. I love seeing credit unions in Michigan and around the country share their messages about Pride and supporting their communities of people who have traditionally been excluded. We all know that credit unions support everyone, regardless of race, sex, identity, ability or nationality.
During the month of Pride, it is nice to see a reminder of this mission that is focused on people that have been left out and behind. And as your association, we celebrate your commitment to embracing this month and what it stands for.
What Does it Mean?
So, what does it mean to be an ally? Is it simply to learn about the origins of Pride and declare your support for the movement? I believe this is only a part of what it means to be an ally. As my work in the DEI space has taught me, there is a lot of sadness, fear, embarrassment and rage when a group is marginalized and left out and treated as less than.
Simply put, it is a struggle that some people live every day — sometimes so much that many queer people never feel safe enough to come out. They face discrimination and persecution from employers, co-workers, classmates, friends and even family. I do not know what this is like. But figuring out how I can help and support people who are facing these realities will help me be a better ally.
Answering the question of what it means to be an ally will take time as I am still learning and understanding. I have spent some time researching groups that support the queer community and found Equality Michigan, which is a political advocacy organization that connects victims of bias, discrimination, harassment and violence with services to receive support and achieve justice. To support Pride month, I donated money to this group. I felt that, for me, this was the best way to show my allyship this year.
‘True to Who You Are’
One of our team members shared their thoughts on Pride, and Crystal Carmack said it best: “Pride is living every day, true to who you are. It’s being an encouragement to others who may be struggling with acceptance or understanding who they are. It takes a lot of courage to walk in this world, masks off, speaking and living your true self. Pride is proclaiming that love is love, not only within the LGBTQ+ community, but expanding throughout all races, religions, ethnicities and all walks of life. Love always wins.”
To all my friends, family, team members and members of our credit union community that have struggled to be accepted as your true self, I stand next to you in support and will continue my efforts to show up, for you and with you. Happy Pride.
Patty Corkery is president/CEO of the Michigan Credit Union League.