Envision:You CEO Steven Haden discusses significance of Pride month for LGBTQ+ community
CBS News Colorado continues to elevate voices in the LGBTQ+ community this Pride month.
Envision:You CEO Steven Haden joined CBS News Colorado anchor Mekialaya White on Friday to discuss the significance, importance, and origin of Pride month.
"Happy Pride! It's so nice to be here to talk about this," Haden began. "Pride really started at the Stonewall riots in New York City in Greenwich Village in 1969. It really galvanized the political movement, the LGBTQ rights movement, and the ability to celebrate Pride across the world. Some folks that were instrumental were Black and brown trans women, who were really on the forefront of pushing back against systemic oppression."
Haden works daily with his nonprofit to help close gaps in behavioral health outcomes for LGBTQ individuals by improving their overall well-being. He says Pride is instrumental in promoting positive mental health.
"Imagine, you're coming together with members of our community. So often, we see folks, particularly at Denver Pride, more than 300,000 people join us for the multi-day celebration," he said. "And they're coming from small and rural communities, places from around Colorado. The ability to have a sense of belonging and be your authentic self really brings a lot of joy for members of our community."
"Probably one of the most important social determinants of health is a sense of belonging, people that have shared lived experience as ours," he added. "Coming together in celebration is a moment to reflect on some of the challenges that our community continues to experience."
He says Pride is also a point of strength amid a wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation across the U.S.
"We know discrimination continues to be prevalent in our community. Members of the community continue to experience hate crimes, violence, discrimination, harassment," Haden said. "So, this is a place for folks to find safety and community and help bolster that psychological safety that so many across our country are really challenged with right now."
To learn more about upcoming Denver Pride celebrations and the official Pride parade, visit its official website: https://bit.ly/3NbEOVy