Celebrating Pride Month Every Month
What does pride mean? June – International Pride Month – is often known as a month filled with celebrations and community. However, not all queer people are free to celebrate and be their true, authentic selves. As we shared in our blog post earlier this month, many LGBTQI+ people around the world still face harassment, discrimination, and persecution. For people on the move, this does not stop once they reach the shores of Europe. In the Samos CCAC, many members of the LGBTQI+ report feeling unsafe, alone, and having to hide part of themselves, due to insufficient living conditions and inadequate protection measures.
During these last days of June, we bring stories from members of the LGBTQI+ community living in the Samos CCAC, shared in the confidential Samos LGBTQI+ Group. Here, they shared their experiences and dreams for the future based on the prompts 1) What does “Pride” mean to you? 2) How would you celebrate Pride if you could? 3) What do you think about the need for safe spaces for LGBTQI+ people?
One participant shared the the following:
”Pride means living my truth without fear — making peace with who I am, even if the world around me doesn’t understand. Pride is surviving, continuing, and learning how to love myself as I truly am.
For years, I felt ashamed of my truth, as if I needed permission just to exist. But today, even if I’m not in a fully safe place, I know deep inside that I deserve respect, love, and dignity.
If I had the chance to celebrate Pride Month freely, I would surround myself with people who are like me — who understand me, who celebrate their colors just as I do. I would raise the Pride flag high, dance without fear, and share my story with those who need to hear it. Because Pride, to me, is not just an external celebration — it’s a deep inner feeling that I am not alone.
Having safe spaces for LGBTQ+ people is not a luxury — it’s a necessity. These are the places where we breathe deeply, take off the masks, and rebuild ourselves away from rejection and danger.
When we find someone who listens, who believes us, who doesn’t judge — we feel human again. We feel like we, too, deserve to live.
In the end, Pride is about living, loving, and dreaming — without ever needing to apologize for it.”
Another provided the following artwork:
Despite the continued struggles for basic rights and acceptance, these stories express sentiments of survival, hope, and resilience. Highlighting the importance of a safe space and freedom to express one’s identity, these individuals display acts of resilience every single day. In the face of a continued struggle for rights, we stand with members of the LGBTQI+ community, in Samos and beyond. Even as Pride Month comes to an end, we continue to demand dignity and justice for every single queer person around the world.
Written by Helene Gottlieb, Communications Officer.