Luminus honors Pride month

This Pride Month, we wish to raise awareness of the global plight of some of our LGBTQIA+ neighbors and friends. Rainbow Railroad reports that in more than 60 nations globally, “same-sex intimacy remains criminalized, leaving countless lives in jeopardy.” The Williams Institute at UCLA’s School of Law clarifies, indicating 69 countries and adding that as many as 11 could “impose the death penalty if convicted.” Williams released a study of LGBT Asylum Claims in the US revealing that “almost all interviews involving LGBT claims resulted in positive determinations of fear by asylum officers.”

Unfortunately, the US is not always a safe haven. The Human Rights Campaign’s analysis of the FBI’s annual crime report for 2022 shows that “anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes were up sharply from the prior year, with a 13.8% increase in reports based on sexual orientation and a shocking 32.9% jump in reported hate crimes based on gender identity.”

Luminus stands proudly with our LGBTQIA+ staff, family, friends, and neighbors by calling for fully inclusive and welcoming communities in the US and around the world. Celebrate Pride month with us as we share stories of José Julio Sarria, Luis Sandoval, Raffi Freedman-Gurspan, Carlos Almaraz, and Jeanne Córdova in our social media.

You are welcome here.