Mobile is a city that’s Born to Celebrate. We flood the streets for Mardi Gras. We look for any excuse to connect and to find joy. We are strengthened by our vast partnerships and by the diversity of our lived experiences. Pride ArtWalk is just one expression of that diversity, one vibrant thread in the living tapestry of our Port City. It is consistently one of the most well-attended ArtWalks of the year. This year, it grew even bigger with the collaboration of over 40 downtown businesses and countless Mardi Gras associations, advocates, community leaders, organizations, and faith communities that joined the annual parade and stage presentation.
The banners on Government Street do the opposite of celebrating our expansive community. Their function is to isolate, to sow division, to make us smaller. They invoke National Child Awareness Month, an observance established for an entirely different purpose, to deliver a message that targets LGBTQ people, which reads “protect our children from gender ideology.”
For decades, LGBTQ people have been portrayed as a threat to children. Today, that same harmful rhetoric presents LGBTQ visibility as something children need to be protected from. It was untrue then, and it is untrue now.
Let’s be clear: the lives of LGBTQ people are not lived through an ideology. They are lived through authenticity, with the same freedom of expression, individual liberty, and pursuit of happiness that are fundamental American principles.
LGBTQ folks are our doctors and teachers, co-workers and classmates. They’re city employees, small business owners, neighbors, and friends. They exist in every area of our professional and personal lives, represented across every generation.
Unfortunately, moments like these have an impact on LGBTQ lives, especially the lives of young people. The message of these banners reinforces the experience of those who have been kicked out of their homes and rejected by peers, who have felt the sting of: “You are not welcome here.” For youth already struggling to feel accepted, this message can deepen isolation, reinforce shame, and take a devastating toll on their mental health and well-being.
Prism United exists to protect children. Our support programs protect them from isolation by creating a welcoming community. Our mental health services protect their well-being by connecting them with free therapy and opportunities to heal. Our family programs protect them by equipping parents with the tools to understand and support their children. And our safe spaces protect their ability to build confidence in who they are and know they belong.
We believe that all children should be able to grow up safe, supported, and free to be themselves. We believe that Mobile shines brighter when we come together. And we believe that when any part of our community is made to feel unwelcome, it diminishes all of us.
We hope you believe that, too.