As Americans, we love our freedoms. Whatever the color of our skin, however much money we have, cherishing freedom is woven into the fabric of our American identities.

Our nation was founded on the principle of liberty. Of course, when our Founding Fathers affirmed the right to liberty and the pursuit of happiness, Black people were enslaved, white women had minimal rights, and only white men who owned a sufficient amount of property could vote.

Since that time, Black Americans, women, migrants, other marginalized groups and their allies have fought courageously to challenge the status quo and demand the rights and freedoms they deserve. Thanks to their efforts, our nation continues to move closer to truly being a land of liberty and justice for all. 

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Since this is Pride Month, I want to recognize the progress we’ve made toward including LGBTQ+ Americans in our ideal of freedom for all. About 50 years ago, simply being gay was a crime in all states but one. Gay and transgender people lived in hiding, under the constant threat of police harassment and random violence by homophobic vigilantes.

One fateful night, June 28, 1969, when the New York City Police raided the Stonewall Inn, a common occurrence for establishments that served a gay and trans clientele, people began resisting arrest. This sparked a six-day rebellion throughout the city against this oppressive system.

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The uprising catalyzed the modern gay rights movement. Activists began holding protests, meeting with political leaders, and interrupting political meetings to make themselves heard and hold leaders accountable. Just a few hundred people held a march in NYC that year, but as participants later recalled, simply being out in public, openly gay, demanding the right to be seen and treated as a full human being, felt radically rebellious and joyful. 

Fifty years later, in New York City’s 2019 Pride Parade, the number of LGBTQ+ individuals and allies marching, dancing, and cheering through the streets swelled to about 150,000. Gay and trans Americans have also won the right to marry who they want, serve openly in the military, and demand equal treatment when renting an apartment or applying for a job.

Our joy at these accomplishments must also fire us up. As MAGA Republicans try to restrict these hard-won freedoms and roll back our progress, we must keep our eyes open and be ready to resist repressive laws. About 525 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced in 41 state legislatures this year. Over 75 of them have been signed into law, more than double from 2022.

The fear-mongering and hateful rhetoric spouted by MAGA Republicans is also endangering the lives of LGBTQ+ Americans, who, according to a report issued last month by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, are facing an increased risk of extremist violence. LGBTQ+ Americans are nearly four times more likely to be victims of violent crimes than their non-LGBTQ+ counterparts.

MAGA Republicans are pushing for government intrusion into classrooms, libraries, doctors’ offices and bathrooms as part of their efforts to control the lives of LGBTQ+ Americans and prevent all of us from holding healthy discussions around the concepts of sexual orientation and gender identity.

As another reminder that our struggle for freedom is never done, June also marks the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health decision, when MAGA Justices took away women’s freedom to decide for ourselves when and if we have children.

Since that ruling, 20 state legislatures dominated by MAGA Republicans have passed anti-abortion laws. About 22 million women and girls of reproductive age now live in states where abortion access is severely restricted or completely banned, even in cases of rape or incest.  

Some of these laws also prevent doctors from treating life-threatening conditions in pregnant women and force doctors to delay treatment until a narrow definition is met for a mother’s life being at risk. Finding such limitations intolerable, many obstetricians are leaving these states. As a result, women’s health clinics are shutting down in these states, and women face declining access to contraception as well as pre- and post-natal care. Still, the evangelical base of the Republican party is continuing to call for a complete federal ban on abortion.

It’s time again for us as Americans to stand up for our freedoms: the freedom to have autonomy over our own bodies, the freedom to choose whom we love and marry, the freedom to live with dignity and thrive as our full selves. 

As Pride month comes to a close, we’ll be gearing up for July 4th — a perfect time to celebrate those who fought for the freedoms we enjoy in our country today, and to commit ourselves to the long-held American tradition of fighting for liberty and justice for all.

Debbie Bruell of Carbondale chairs the Garfield County Democrats and is a past member of the Roaring Fork Schools Board of Education.