In honor of the 51st anniversary of the Stonewall riots, which set off the LGBTQ movement, we share stories from members of the Philadelphia LGBTQ+ community, who continue the movement through their advocacy, visibility and activism.
Natasha Cloud
WNBA Player
Saint Joseph’s Women’s Basketball ’12-‘15
In Tasha’s words:
Not everyone in the WNBA is part of the LGBTQ+ community, but it is a safe space where people are open and loving. That gave me the confidence to tap into who I truly was and to navigate through that journey of saying, “OK, I’m a bisexual female and I’m proud of that.” I’m proud of who I am, and I’m not going to be scared to tell the world. Being open and out about being bisexual can change the perspective of the life of one other person. That’s a win. I’m proud of who I am every single day. Pride to me is loving yourself, being proud of who you are, what you are, what your morals are, and what your values are.
I’ve always felt welcomed [in the community]. Even before I came out, I was always at Pride Parades because it was important for me to support. Love is love no matter what it looks like. That’s something my family has always taught me, something that I’ve always made sure to instill in how I approach everyday life. My family was super supportive of me. Friends were super supportive. I felt so much love throughout this process and this journey. Obviously, there’s always going to be haters. There are always going to be people who will question you and who you are. But you surround yourself with good people and drown out the rest of the noise.
It’s everything to feel safe, to feel protected, to feel loved. When you’re going through inner struggles and inner battles of trying to find out who you truly are, to have that support system is everything. That’s what breaks my heart about the LGBTQ+ community. There are a lot of kids out here that don’t have that support, that don’t have that love and that rock to uphold them. That’s why I want to change that stigma. Love is love. As long as someone is living out their truth and being the best version of themselves, it shouldn’t matter who they love.
Tasha’s advice to LGBTQ youth:
There are so many good people out here part of the LGBTQ+ community that will be there. I will be there for you if I can help navigate it as well. But understand that you are not alone. There are countless people out here that will love and support you whether they are part of our community, or they are not. Most importantly, just love yourself. You are perfect in every sense of who you truly are. Embrace that in every facet.
Click the links below to read additional installments in our Pride Voices series.