Is pride in the way of progress?

By Christopher Anderson

June is officially recognized as LGBTQ Pride Month — a time set aside to honor the resilience, culture and political victories of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer Americans. For many, it’s seen as a celebration of progress and inclusion. But for Black America, this month raises urgent questions that too few of us are asking—and even fewer are willing to answer honestly.

If we still dare to call ourselves “woke,” then we must be wide awake to this reality: Pride Month should not be uncritically celebrated by Black people.

This is not about hate. This is about hierarchy — and how our people have slipped further down it.

The LGBTQ movement, intentionally or not, has co-opted the language, energy and legislative momentum of the Civil Rights Movement. What was once a battle for the dignity of a historically enslaved people has now been diluted by a broader identity war — one increasingly centered around sexuality and gender, rather than race and ancestry. As a result, we are witnessing the effective replacement of Black issues on America’s cultural and political agenda. Our demands are marginalized. Our progress is stalled. Our place in line has been taken — and too many of us are clapping as it happens.

Dr. Claude Anderson warned us years ago that aligning ourselves with movements that are not rooted in our specific historical experience would render us fourth-class citizens in a country we helped build. White men still dominate, White women ride the momentum of feminist power, and LGBTQ voices have now risen as the nation’s new “protected class.” Where does that leave Black America? Behind them all — again.

Dr. Umar Johnson has gone further in his critique, boldly stating that homosexuality is not inborn but socialized, and that its normalization is being used as a tool of cultural displacement for Black men in particular. His words are controversial, but the question he raises remains: Why are we so eager to celebrate a movement that has taken our place and buried our struggle beneath rainbow-colored platitudes?

Let’s look at what’s really happening. The intersection of homophobia, racism, classism and poverty has resulted in disproportionately poor health outcomes for Black LGBTQ individuals, including higher rates of depression, HIV, substance abuse and disengagement from healthcare. But instead of addressing the root causes — systemic poverty, broken family structures, underfunded education — our society doubles down on identity politics that further fracture the Black community.

Even the Black Church, historically a cornerstone of our spiritual and political strength, is under immense pressure to shift its theology and traditions to accommodate secular progressive movements. Some congregations have chosen to affirm these new cultural values. Others resist. But the tension reveals a deeper question: Are we losing the core of our community trying to please others?

And what about Juneteenth? The holiday that honors the end of slavery for our ancestors is now caught in the cultural shadow of Pride Month. How did we allow this? Why are we so quick to celebrate others while our own commemorations are sidelined?

Let me be clear: this is not about denying anyone’s humanity. It’s about protecting our own. It’s about waking up to the manipulation of our compassion. Black Americans are among the most forgiving and inclusive people on Earth — and that is both our strength and our vulnerability. But inclusivity must never come at the expense of identity. Allyship must never mean abandonment.

We cannot afford to be naïve in a society that packages every new movement as progress. Pride Month is not neutral. It is cultural currency. And right now, it’s being spent in a way that leaves Black America broke, distracted and displaced.

We have celebrated enough. Now it’s time to wake up.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the AFRO.

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