June is one of the key times of the year in the LGBTQ+ calendar because it is Pride Month. Pride is an annual event, primarily held on the last Sunday of June, celebrating the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Queer+ communities. Jonathan Metrick is one of our Members and is a proud example of Dreams Abroad’s commitment to equality for all, whatever your race, nationality, or sexual orientation.
We always enjoy catching up with Jonathan as he is a bundle of positive energy. Jonathan credits being exposed to various forms of diversity during his middle & high school years at Bayview Glen School in Toronto, Canada. Following his undergraduate studies at Queen’s University, Jonathan went on to work at Procter & Gamble in Toronto, Canada. There he led P&G Canada’s LGBT employee group (GABLE) and helped secure P&G’s first corporate participation in Toronto pride, a tradition that continues to this day. Jonathan would then go on to earn an MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School, where he enthusiastically contributed to the work of the LGBT Student Association and became a A Point Foundation Scholar,
Understandably, June is an important month for Jonathan. Each year he welcomes the proliferation of rainbow flags that can be seen throughout Pride month. Pride commemorates the courage of the few, who were willing to stand up for the rights of many, during the 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York. There, LGBT+ patrons resisted police arrest during a raid at the Stonewall Inn. Among the rioters was Marsha P. Johnston, who went on to become a founding member of the Gay Liberation Front, effectively kicking off the modern gay rights movement.
We stand in solidarity with the victims of prejudice. Five years on from the Pulse Nightclub shooting, we are resolute in our attempt to enlighten. In a world similarly awash with hashtags, we urge you to seek out the #ActLoveGive one. May all your future interactions be Acts of Love and Kindness.
15 Comments. Leave new
I can’t believe it’s been 5 years since the Pulse shooting. It still breaks my heart thinking about it.
It was a tragic day and hopefully, the last event of its kind. Thank you for your comment.
It is great that Pride Month is celebrated all over the world. It was nice to hear about this prideful person.
Oh gosh, I remember the Pulse Club shooting. My heart still squeezes. I am glad it’s being talked about. Those people should never be forgotten.
It is sad that people have to be mean to others. That club shooting was awful.
It saddens me how much hate there is in the world. I pray we someday find peace and acceptance.
Thanks for sharing, these kind of people should always be remembered.
It’s such a shame that there is still so much hate in the world. The shooting was awful, it was a shock when it happened.
That’s a really great speech from Jonathan Metrick, thanks for sharing it.
I remember this and it was so heartbreaking. There is still just to much hate in the world. I’m glad that you are sharing this.
It’s beautiful to see so many rainbow flags around us the whole month. It remembers us that everyone is the same!
That is a really good speech. Pride is something to be celebrated year round, not just for a month
It is nice to have a month to commemorate pride and strive for equal rights for everyone.
It is nice to hear about this. This is the month of pride means love and eqaulity
This was so tragic and awful. They will always be remembered!