OC PRIDE RESPONDS TO WHITE HOUSE REDEFINITION OF JUNE & PRIDE MONTH

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COSTA MESA, CA — OC Pride stands firm in our truth: June is, and will always be, Pride Month. Not because it was granted by any administration, but because it was claimed by generations of LGBTQIA+ people who refused to be erased.

Pride is not a holiday handed down by politicians. It was born from protest sparked by those who had nothing left to lose but still rose to fight. Black and Brown trans women, drag performers, queer youth, sex workers, and everyday people made history at Stonewall, Compton’s Cafeteria, Dewey’s Lunch Counter, and beyond. Pride lives in that legacy. It lives in all of us.

The White House’s attempt to reframe June as “Title IX Month” is more than a name change. It’s a distraction and a dangerous one. It scapegoats trans people under the false promise of protecting women and girls, while doing nothing to address the real issues: reproductive rights, gender-based violence, the pay gap, and access to healthcare. Let’s be clear: Trans women are women. LGBTQIA+ people are not a threat to manage. We are a vibrant community that deserves dignity, safety, and celebration.

Pride is not political theater. It’s truth. And it belongs to all of us.

Whether you’ve marched for decades or you’re attending your very first Pride, this movement is yours. Whether you’re out and proud, questioning, or simply showing up in support, this month, and every month, is for you. Pride is a celebration of who we are, how far we’ve come, and the work still ahead.

At OC Pride, we are committed to creating spaces that uplift every part of our community spaces where our joy is radical, our safety is sacred, and our stories are honored. Our work doesn’t follow a political calendar. It’s ongoing, rooted in love, justice, and visibility.

This June, we celebrate every LGBTQIA+ person who’s ever had to fight to be seen. We stand with trans and nonbinary youth, with queer families, with drag artists, and with every person choosing to live out loud in a world that too often tries to silence us.

We are not going back.

We are not asking for permission.

We are here. We are proud. And we are louder than ever.