June 28 is a time of celebration, respect, and inclusion for the LGBTQIAPN+ community. But it hasn’t always been this way. The date, now known as Pride Day and a symbol of a month filled with discussions about LGBTQIAP+ rights, was once a day of uprising.

How Pride Day began

In the 1960s, LGBTQIAPN+ people in New York had very few places to gather and were often persecuted simply for being who they were—just like in many parts of the world. In the American city, there was a bar where the community would meet: the Stonewall Inn, located in the Greenwich Village neighborhood. The venue was also the target of frequent violent police raids, which often ended in numerous arrests.

On June 28, 1969, patrons and staff fought back against the police, sparking an uprising that lasted several days and drew thousands of other demonstrators. Known as the Stonewall Uprising, the event inspired LGBTQIAPN+ movements in the United States and beyond. In 1970, an activist used the one-year anniversary of the event to mark the date as a symbol of the community’s fight for rights.

Why Pride Day matters

More than 50 years have passed since the Stonewall Uprising, and while there have been many advances, the struggle remains relevant. Data supports this: LGBTQIAPN+ individuals are five times more likely to experience violence, according to a UCLA study.

Pride Day and Pride Month are important opportunities to raise awareness, discuss key challenges, celebrate stories, and drive meaningful progress on LGBTQIAPN+ issues.

Inspiration: "Matéria Prima" documentary

Many LGBTQIAPN+ people have stories marked by self-acceptance and overcoming major challenges. The documentary Matéria Prima, produced by Ecolab and Pride+ with support from Suzano, highlights the journey of Nicole Auer, a maintenance planning analyst at Suzano in Aracruz (ES). In the film, she shares her transition process and emphasizes the importance of receiving support from her leadership from the very beginning. “My manager was engaged and present. If he had told me to just deal with it, I might not be here,” says Nicole.

For Nicole, who began her transition in 2022 and completed it in 2023 after nearly a year at the company, the words “respect” and “patience” stand out. “I came in one way and changed. People won’t start addressing you the way you want overnight. I had to be patient and have many conversations. But the bottom line is respect. It’s always about showing how important it is to respect differences,” she explains.

Want to learn more about Nicole’s story and how Suzano supported her transition? Watch the Matéria Prima documentary on Suzano’s YouTube channel.

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