NZ Pride Month
Creativity is many things: Joyful, surprising, fulfilling, often hard, and nearly always challenging.
Creativity is looking at what is in front of you and seeing it from a new perspective to imagine what it could be. It’s a process of growth and learning. Often that process is uncomfortable; challenging not only our current knowledge and skills, but occasionally our understanding of ourselves, our backgrounds, and the world around us.
Being part of a creative community means benefiting from each others’ perspectives and working together to achieve more than we can on our own. But communities can also be challenging too.
New perspectives can be surprising, and rearranging our assumptions about ourselves and the world around us can be uncomfortable. Being the person who presents a new perspective can be incredibly hard, especially when you’ve experienced rejection in the past.
But on the other side of that discomfort can be increasing your joy, fun, excitement, and empathy, stronger relationships, and a richer society.
June is ‘Pride Month’ in NZ, celebrating the diversity and creativity that comes from breaking down the traditional social boxes of ‘either/or’, and seeing people not for the single role they play in society (e.g. the provider OR the nurturer), but as people - unique individuals each capable of amazing things.
LGBTQI+ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex. The + includes those who identify as pansexual, asexual, agender and genderqueer. Those who identify with the gender and sex they were given at birth are known as cisgender persons (sometimes cissexual, informally abbreviated cis).
Pride Month is both positive and problematic: Positive as it represents the move away from illegality, and towards greater acceptance by most of society. Problematic because having a month is a signal that LGBTQI+ is still not normalised. There is still a sense of ‘us and them’. It is also too easy for organisations to rainbow wash for a month, while making no meaningful changes to policies or systems which create barriers for non cisgender people to feel free to be themselves and fully participate and share their perspectives to add to the richness of the community.
At Stitch Kitchen, we believe strongly in equality and equity for all, regardless of race, gender, religion, nationality, ability, and ethnicity. (Our rainbow-esque colour scheme is not by accident).
We want everyone who visits us to be safe and keep others safe; physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually. We work to provide a safe space for everyone to feel like they belong, that they are seen, accepted, and appreciated for their authentic and creative selves.
Respect is key. We constantly strive to do better and welcome feedback. We urge all cisgender people to do the same.
We stand for these things, not only for June but for each day and every month of the year.
You are seen. You are loved.