A post by Henry Holmes,
Sr. Interaction Design & Engineer,
DE&I Co-Representative for LGBTQIA+ at TripleLift
If any of us were sitting in TripleLift’s NYC headquarters today we could step outside and make our way beside NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, past Washington Square Park’s famous arch, into West Village along Christopher street, to the Stonewall Inn. A mere 5 blocks and 50 odd years ago this was an epicenter of radical, paradigmatic change to which we can trace the modern origins of Pride Month. We owe so much of today’s culture and comfort to activists like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, who made themselves heard and would take no less than real change for an answer those years ago.
The 21st century has a short attention span and an even shorter memory, so it’s worth acknowledging some of the modern conditions we take for granted and how they came to be. One such reality is the increasing presence of historically underrepresented voices in mass media. Another is the expectation of progress and accountability that gives us confidence in a better tomorrow. Still more, there is the collaboration of so many millions of people across disciplines, identities and perspectives that make the internet a worthwhile place to be. These truths were built and fought for, and they require care and attention to remain.
TripleLift prides ourselves on supporting the publication of high quality content wherever it happens to be. Our work would matter so much less without the passionate, diverse and inclusive ecosystem of publishers and advertisers we work with every day.
Before this pride month is over, we wanted to acknowledge that we materially benefit from the work of all the LGBTQIA+ individuals who put their safety on the line at the Stonewall Inn demonstrations in 1969, and in so many countless ways and places in the many years before and since. The vibrant ecosystem of creativity and expression that drives us to consume content, challenges us to grow, and inspires us to build a better world has deep roots in Black Trans activism, in Black communities, and in Black imaginations.
Our future demands that we follow in the footsteps of Marsha and Sylvia in pursuit of a more just and equitable world — one we can be proud to live in.
