top of page
Erin Hutt Consulting

Rooted in Pride: Tools, Truth, and Support for LGBTQ+ Communities

Pride Month is more than a celebration. It's a time to pause, reflect, honor, and recommit. It’s a reminder of the people who paved the way, the challenges individuals still face, and the work each of us can do to show up for the LGBTQ+ community in real and meaningful ways.


For grassroots leaders, Pride isn’t just a date on the calendar, it’s deeply personal. It means ensuring young people feel safe walking into school, making sure elders have access to support, and uplifting every voice, no matter how quiet. It means using whatever platform we have to elevate those around us.


This post isn’t just a celebration of Pride. It’s a call to live it every day. I’m sharing practical tools, real truths, and support systems to help you connect your community to care, build safer spaces, and stay grounded in the values that matter most: dignity and belonging.


Why Pride Month Matters for Grassroots Leaders

Pride is about visibility, safety, and love, values that sit at the heart of grassroots work. For many LGBTQ+ people, especially in overlooked or underserved communities, support doesn't come from large institutions. It comes from neighbors, mentors, organizers, and advocates like you.

Grassroots leaders have always been at the heart of progress. Maybe you’ve offered a safe space in a church or you’ve helped someone find housing. Maybe you’ve just shown up, consistently, with empathy and open arms. That work matters. It saves lives. And Pride is a reminder that these everyday acts are part of a much bigger story.


Moments That Moved the Nation: LGBTQ+ History Worth Knowing

To move forward with purpose, we need to understand where we’ve been as a society. LGBTQ+ history is full of everyday people who took extraordinary steps to demand change. These aren’t just moments in time. They’re lessons in what it means to lead with courage.


Early Organizing

In 1924, the Society for Human Rights became the first documented gay rights organization in the United States. It was quickly shut down, but it sparked a movement. By the 1950s, groups like the Mattachine Society and the Daughters of Bilitis began advocating openly for gay men and lesbians, creating community and connection at a time when being out could be dangerous.


The Turning Point

In 1969, a police raid at the Stonewall Inn in New York City set off days of protest and rebellion. What became known as the Stonewall Uprising is often marked as the start of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. A year later, Pride marches were held in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago to honor Stonewall and demand change. What began as protest has grown into a global movement, but the roots remain grounded in liberation.


Recent Progress and the Work Ahead

In 2015, the Supreme Court’s Obergefell v. Hodges decision recognized same-sex marriage across the country. (Delaware had its first lesbian marriage in 2013, shout out to Drew.) And in 2020, LGBTQ+ people were granted federal workplace protections under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.


Still, the fight is far from over. Black and Brown trans women continue to face disproportionate violence. LGBTQ+ youth are at higher risk of homelessness and mental health challenges. And new laws in several states are working to roll back hard-won protections.


This history gives us context. It reminds us that progress is possible, and everyday people have always been the ones to move the needle.


Support Starts Here: Resources You Can Share

No one should have to face a crisis alone. For LGBTQ+ youth, elders, and those living at the intersections of race, class, and gender, having the right support can be life-changing. As a grassroots leader, knowing where to send someone, or how to walk with them, is part of the job.


Here are trusted resources you can share:


Mental Health and Crisis Lines

  • The Trevor Project

  • Trans Lifeline

  • SAGE LGBT Elder Hotline

    • Support for older LGBTQ+ adults

    • Phone: 1-877-360-5428

    • Website: sageusa.org

  • LGBT National Help Center

    • Support and information for all ages

    • Phone: 1-888-843-4564

    • Website: glbthotline.org

  • Crisis Text Line


Culturally Specific and Specialized Support

  • Call BlackLine

    • For Black, Brown, and Indigenous LGBTQ+ individuals

    • Phone: 1-800-604-5841

    • Website: callblackline.com

  • DeQH

    • Support for South Asian LGBTQ+ individuals

    • Website: deqh.org

  • StrongHearts Native Helpline


Housing, Youth, and Substance Use Resources

  • National Runaway Safeline

    • Support for runaway and homeless youth

    • Phone: 1-800-786-2929

    • Website: 1800runaway.org

  • True Colors United

  • Project HOME

  • Pride Institute

    • Mental health and substance use support for LGBTQ+ people

    • Phone: 1-800-547-7433

    • Website: pride-institute.com


Support Groups: Finding and Creating Community

Belonging matters. Support groups can be lifelines for LGBTQ+ people, offering connection and safety, whether in person or online. As a grassroots leader, you can help people find their people. And if there’s a gap, you can fill it.


Trusted Networks

  • PFLAG

    • Over 300 chapters nationwide offering support to individuals, families, and allies

    • Website: pflag.org

  • TrevorSpace

  • GLSEN and GSA Network

  • Bienestar

    • Latinx-centered health and social services (California)

    • Website: bienestar.org

  • CenterLink Directory


Start Something of Your Own

You don’t need a big budget or fancy space. You need heart.


  • Start with a small group

  • Set ground rules for safety and trust

  • Share your meetings through flyers, social media, and community orgs

  • Co-facilitate with someone who shares lived experiences with your group


Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is open a door and say, “You belong here.”


Making Sure These Resources Reach the People Who Need Them

It’s one thing to know about these services. It’s another to make sure people actually use them. That’s where you come in.


You might be running a food closet, mentoring youth, or organizing community events. No matter your role, you're often the first person someone trusts enough to ask for help. Use that position to connect people to support. Refer people. Share flyers. Invite guest speakers. Build a network that works.


Pride Doesn’t End in June

The energy of Pride Month may fade from the headlines, but the need for inclusive, affirming spaces doesn’t stop. Real impact happens in the day-to-day decisions we make all year long.


  • Keep learning, especially about the unique needs of Black, Brown, immigrant, and trans communities.

  • Review your programs, policies, and practices. Ask if they’re truly inclusive.

  • Make sure your space welcomes people for who they are, not just during Pride, but always.


Being rooted in Pride means letting those values show up in everything you do.


Final Thoughts

The roots of Pride run deep. They’re planted in protest, nurtured by community, and sustained by people who refuse to let others feel invisible.


As a grassroots leader, you are part of that legacy. Let this month be a reminder, not a moment. Keep learning. Keep sharing. Keep showing up.


Pride is action. And your work matters.

If this post spoke to you, pass it on. One shared resource can change a life.




 
 
 

Comments

bottom of page