WHY I CELEBRATE PRIDE
Why do I celebrate PRIDE?
A reader asked me this recently in my “ASK STACY” column, and the question struck such a personal chord that I wanted to answer it more fully here.
Let me begin with my core values.
Like our country’s Constitution, I believe all people are created equal and are entitled to the same inalienable rights. Full stop.
But I also know, as a woman and a person of Jewish faith, what it means to be seen as “less than,” for no other reason than one’s birthright or identity. Our LGBTQIA+ community faces this kind of marginalization every day. That’s why I stand with them proudly and unapologetically.
In a truly just and fair society, no group would need special protections. But we do not live in that world—not yet. So until we do, I will continue to fight for equality, dignity, and fairness for all.
This commitment is not abstract for me; it is deeply personal and intensely lived.
As Board Chair of Public Counsel, the largest pro bono law firm in the country, I have been honored to participate in advancing our mission to protect the rights of those who are underserved. Public Counsel doesn’t fight for handouts or special favors. We fight for that elusive level playing field and fair treatment under the law, especially for those the system continues to overlook, ignore, or harm.
I recently interviewed Abbe Land, a five-time mayor of the City of West Hollywood, for my podcast, Stacy Phillips and Friends. Abbe, who is also my friend, embodies the epitome of a leader who has dedicated a significant portion of her career to fighting for LGBTQ+ rights. She was formerly Executive Director and CEO of the Trevor Project, a nationally recognized nonprofit providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ youth. Abbe is a shining example of leaning into the face of prejudice to help disenfranchised populations that are not her own (she is a married heterosexual cisgender woman), but one she believes in and was drawn to serve, fight for, and uplift.
Like Abbe, I do not believe in ranking people’s worth. I believe in equity. I believe in justice. And I think that all means all. All genders, all sexualities, all backgrounds, all people.
I also believe that embracing diversity makes us stronger as a family, a community, a society, and a country.
So this June, and every month: whether you are gay or straight, trans or nonbinary, religious or secular, Black, white, Indigenous, Jewish, Muslim, or anything else, I support you. I celebrate you. And I will continue to stand with you and fight.
With PRIDE. 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️
Please note: The content and views expressed here are my own and do not reflect or represent the positions, strategies, views, or opinions of Blank Rome LLP.