Open forum: Frederiksted Health Care to Host Gay PRIDE Walk – A Celebration of Justice and Dignity – Saint Croix Source
Frederiksted Health Care Inc. (FHC) will host a “PRIDE Parade Walk, Health & Wellness” event on Saturday, June 18, at Ingeborg Nesbitt Clinic, 516 Strand Street, Frederiksted. The PRIDE Health & Wellness portion of the event will begin at 10 a.m. in front of the health center.
The PRIDE Parade Walk will begin at noon, walking from 516 Strand Street and then westbound past the Ann Abramson Port, traveling to the Midre Cummings Park, around the park in Frederiksted, and returning to Strand Street, it will end at the parking lot across from the health center on the waterfront.
The uprising at the Stonewall Inn in New York in June 1969 sparked a liberation movement — a call to action that continues to inspire us to live up to our nation’s promise of equality, liberty and justice for all. Pride is a time to recall the persecution the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) community has endured and to rejoice in the triumphs of trailblazing individuals who have bravely fought — and continue to fight — for full equality.
Pride is both a jubilant communal celebration of visibility and a personal celebration of self-worth and dignity. This Pride Month, we recognize the valuable contributions of LGBTQ+ individuals across the U.S. Virgin Islands, and we reaffirm our commitment to standing in solidarity with LGBTQ+ Virgin Islanders in their ongoing struggle against discrimination and injustice.
The LGBTQ+ community on St. Croix and across America has achieved remarkable progress since Stonewall. Historic Supreme Court rulings in recent years have struck down regressive laws, affirmed the right to marriage equality, and secured workplace protections for LGBTQ+ individuals in every state and U.S. territory. The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program provides HIV medical care, treatment and support services for people with HIV, and it has improved health outcomes and reduced the transmission of HIV since the program was first enacted in 1990, as the Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act.
These changes accommodate new and emerging needs, such as an increased emphasis on funding core medical services and changes in funding formulas. The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act broadened the definition of hate crimes to include crimes motivated by sexual orientation or gender identity. Also, members of the LGBTQ+ community now serve in various levels of public office.
For all of the progress, there are many Caribbean nations in which LGBTQ+ individuals still lack protections for fundamental rights and dignity in hospitals, schools, public accommodations and other spaces. Our nation continues to witness a tragic spike in violence against transgender women of color. LGBTQ+ individuals — especially youth who defy sex or gender norms — face bullying and harassment in educational settings and are at a disproportionate risk of self-harm and death by suicide. Some states have chosen to actively target transgender youth through discriminatory bills that defy our nation’s values of inclusivity and freedom for all.
Frederiksted Health Care Inc., stands against any form of discrimination against the marginalized and the underserved communities on St. Croix. The LGBTQ+ community demands our continued focus and diligence. FHC is committed to honoring the rights of all LGBTQ+ individuals. Our health centers on St. Croix are all “Safe Zones” that promote and respects LGBTQ+ human rights.
At FHC, we see you, we support you, and we are inspired by your courage to accept nothing less than full equality.
While we are proud of the progress of the Biden Administration in advancing protections for the LGBTQ+ community, we should not rest until full equality for LGBTQ+ Virgin Islanders are finally achieved and codified into Federal law. That is why we call on the Congress to pass the Equality Act, which will ensure civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ people and families on US soil. And that is why we must recognize emerging challenges, like the fact that many LGBTQ+ seniors, who faced discrimination and oppression throughout their lives, are isolated and need support and elder care.
During LGBTQ+ Pride Month, we recognize the resilience and determination of the many individuals who are fighting to live freely and authentically. In doing so, they are opening hearts and minds, and laying the foundation for a more just and equitable America. This Pride Month, we affirm our obligation to uphold the dignity of all people, and dedicate ourselves to protecting the most vulnerable among us.
At FHC, we believe in providing access to quality health care free of discrimination. We believe that healthcare is a human right and that everyone deserve access to the quality healthcare regardless of the ability to pay.
Advocating for those who are marginalized on Croix is an everyday agenda item, and it is not reserved for a special month of the year. FHC’s Division of Social and Community Programs (DSCP) advocates for LGBTQ+ here on St. Croix to come together as one unified voice because “Injustice in healthcare anywhere is a threat to healthcare everywhere.”
Frederiksted Health Care Inc.
