You might have noticed the rainbow banner across the top of WordPress.com over the weekend — our way of marking Pride month, celebrated by cities across the globe in June, as well as the US Supreme Court’s ruling legalizing same-sex marriage across all states. (The United States now joins 20 other countries, including my own, Portugal, in fully recognizing same-sex marriage nationwide.)
Here at WordPress.com we strive to democratize publishing and empower freedom of speech. It’s amazing to see the thoughtful analyses of the Supreme Court’s decision already being published, like this excellent piece from Tropics of Meta putting the decision into long-term historical context. We’re also proud to provide a platform for all the incredibly talented LGBTQ writers who are advocating for change and sharing their stories, like…
- Let’s Queer Things Up!, written by transgender activist Sam Dylan Finch. We appreciate how open Sam is about all aspects of his life, from his fraught relationship with psychiatry to the best affordable chest binders.
- Bully Bloggers, an excellent group blog on “everything queer” from five professors from NYU, Dartmouth College, USC, and the University of Arizona. If you need a break after their analysis of the Irish same-sex marriage referendum, plant your tongue in your cheek and visit their “Freedom to Marry our Pets Society” page.
- Conner Habib, a writer, public speaker, and sex-workers’ advocate who penned the incredibly popular (and thought-provoking) piece, “Why do gay porn stars kill themselves?“
Pride parade, San Francisco. Image by Pete Rosos, 2812 Photography.
WordPress.com bloggers were also out and about with their rainbow flags this weekend, participating in pride parades from Los Angeles to Lisbon and capturing the days in pictures:
- Key West, Florida, via Ron Mayhew Photography.
- Toronto, Ontario, via Michelle Bozzette Media.
- Barcelona, Spain, via Transient Eye.
- Seattle, Washington, via Seattle to Shanghai. (Bonus: the Seattle Pride website is powered by WordPress, as are Atlanta’s and Vancouver’s!)
- Istanbul, Turkey, via Quartz (a less-than-joyous occasion that shows just how important it is to elevate LGBTQ voices).
- London, England, via Paris London Style.
- And of course, San Francisco, California, via 2812 Photography!
Pride parade, Key West, Florida, USA.
Photo by Ron Mayhew Photography.
We also had the pleasure of launching a website for Double Duchess, an energetic queer musical duo from the San Francisco Bay Area who just released their latest album. And check out the new tees and tanks added to the WordPress swag store in early June, in honor of Pride month — it’s the first time that we’ve made the same design available in a such wide, inclusive range of colors, fits, and body shapes! All the profits support the WordPress Foundation, which helps ensure that the free, downloadable version of WordPress is cutting edge, powerful, and ready for whoever wants to have a voice on the web.
Automattic is committed to diversity as a company (and we’re hiring!), and to providing tools that let anyone use the web to tell their truths and work for equality. Happy Pride!
