Nation’s Service-Employment-Redevelopment Network Says Diversity in Our Society and Workforce Is Fueling Innovation and Imagination in the USA
SER National today issued the following statement to celebrate National Gay Pride Month. The White House proclaimed June as a time for Americans to learn the history and significance of the movement for “justice, inclusion, and equality while reaffirming our commitment to do more to support LGBTQI+ rights.”
“SER National believes deeply in our nation’s power through the tapestry of our society’s diversity,” says Ignacio Salazar, SER National Chief Executive Officer. “Across America and Puerto Rico, our affiliates open their doors every day and embrace all those who enter with heartfelt respect and appreciation, be they staff, students, or community allies. The greatest reward for us is to witness how we are a beautiful human sea of talent, dedication, and caring individuals striving to serve. I am so proud of our LGBTQI+ team members and program participants because they are all of us in common purpose, goals, and aspirations. They belong because they teach us true strength, resilience, and perseverance,” adds Salazar.
Gay Pride Month has its roots in remembering the Stonewall Riots that happened on June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn in the Greenwich Village. The gay community in Lower Manhattan in New York City began spontaneous demonstrations when they were confronted violently by police who had carried out an early-morning raid on the business, a popular gay nightclub. The riots marked a turning point for gay rights in the United States, and the event is credited as the start of the gay liberation movement that continues today.
“Today, America has more than 1-million same-sex married and unmarried households, and these couples are raising nearly 200,000 children,” says Salazar. “Also, it is clear that in virtually every state, county, and city, millions more members of the LGBTQI+ community are contributing to our country’s economic strength as business owners, professionals, and employees. Collectively, they enrich our nation’s brain trust through their creativity, skills, and desire to be included and acknowledged as we all wish. They are our siblings, children, parents, friends, and colleagues. They are all of us. We can each try to learn more about one another because this is the best way to dispel myths and find what we have in common rather than fear of the unknown that drives us apart. I know with all my heart that America and Americans are better today when we unite, and National Gay Pride Month invites all of us to bask in the colors of its rainbow and be proud of who we are.”
