Celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride Month
June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month, and we are so proud to celebrate. Pride Month is an annual celebration to recognize and honor the June 1969 Stonewall Riots at the Stone Wall Inn in Manhattan, NY., resulting in a national resistance movement against police harassment and oppression of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ+) people. The movement sparked the founding of several organizations advocating for gay rights and inspired the current Pride parades we see today all across the country.
In honor of Pride Month and to show support for the LGBTQ+ members of our team, Enlivant has donated $5,000 to Out & Equal, an organization working on LGBTQ+ workplace equality, and we’re sharing the experiences of a few members of our own team. Read on to learn more and help us cultivate an organization that celebrates individuality and inclusion!
Chanel Hampton – Memory Care Manager, Dublin Place (She/Hers)
Chanel Hampton has been in senior living for 13 years and with Enlivant for five. As a Memory Care Manager, she loves working with residents because she’s passionate about helping others. Chanel identifies as a transwoman and believes in freely expressing who you are, and she credits her large, supportive family for positively impacting her transition.
Why is Pride Month important to you and how do you celebrate?
Pride Month is important because I want everyone to be themselves and to walk with their head held high. A lot of people I know committed suicide because they were afraid of what their families or others may think. Pride Month means accepting who you are regardless of what others may think.
I grew up in a church that spoke against the LGBTQ+ community but I have learned that God cares about what is in your heart. If you believe in God, he will love you regardless of your lifestyle.
What has being a part of the LGBTQ+ community taught you?
Confidence.
I am confident in my appearance and in my look – and that confidence shows. I love colors, and I express myself without hesitation or judgment of myself. My mom always said if you are going to transition, please make sure you are as fabulous as me. I love the skin that I am in. I used to be the type of person to shrink down, and now I walk into a crowd with my 8-inch heels with no issues. I am very well-known in my city and receive so much respect because I am exactly who I say I am.
What is something you wish others understood about your dimension of diversity?
I consider myself a Transwoman. Out of all my brothers, I was always the one playing with dolls and watching my sister put on makeup. Regardless of my identity, I am human. I wish people understood that I am being honest and real with myself about who I am, about my identity. My journey is just different than others.
What songs get you in the mood to celebrate Pride?
Beyonce – My, Myself, and I. It brings me back to loving myself, accepting myself, and being true to myself. If I am on one accord with myself, that is the only thing I need.
Check out our Pride playlist on Spotify!
Neal Larcom – Human Resources Generalist (He/His)
Neal has been on the HR team at the Enlivant Support Center for over a year, and he’s proud to be part of the LGBTQ+ community and be someone who identifies as gay. Neal is an avid reader with a goal to read at least 30 books per year, and he loves traveling, cooking, and watching horror movies. Fun fact: Neal loves Christmas and starts listening to Christmas music in October!
Why is Pride Month important to you and how do you celebrate?
Pride month is important to me because it gives the LGBTQIA community the opportunity to be heard and celebrated. We have come such a long way as a community and as individuals and that is something I’m very proud of. While I don’t necessarily always partake in Pride Month celebrations, I do celebrate my pride by living as my authentic self in my everyday life.
How do you bring your Pride to work?
I bring my Pride to work through how I present myself. When I’m interacting with a member of my team, with someone I know very well and interact with daily through my work,
or with someone who I might just be passing in the hallway, I present myself the same way. I feel proud to present myself now as who I am because this isn’t something that I would have done a few years ago.
What is something you wish others understood about your dimension of diversity?
I wish others understood that while we have come so far in being accepted and respected as individuals, we still have a very long fight ahead of us. I’m surprised at how often I talk with people and hear “But its 2022, how is being gay/trans/queer/non-binary not accepted by everyone?”
What songs get you in the mood to celebrate Pride?
I enjoy a wide variety of music but my go to artists are usually Metallica, Disturbed, Kygo, & Lady Gaga.