From our Founder on Pride 2021

Editors Note: This piece was revised on June 17, 2021 to reflect a corrected date of the Stonewall riot.

Pride is so much more than just a month, or a parade or rainbow merchandise from big-box retailers. 

It was June 28th, 1969 in New York City that Black transgender women—after being targeted and arrested for being queer and trans people— helped to start a riot at Stonewall, the bar that is still standing in Greenwich Village. It’s them we are indebted to, in awe of, inspired by and forever grateful for; they are the ones that ignited the flame of the gay rights movement.  

The history of Pride is rooted in liberation, and it is this celebration of liberation that we recognize in June. It is also not lost on us that in this month we also celebrate our freedom from slavery on Juneteenth.

Birth work is also about freedom, liberation and love. We love to support love. Especially the love that creates the parents and families we support every day at Poppy Seed Health. The universal call of a dirty diaper discriminates against no one.

I’m excited about this newsletter because we are introducing you to some of our LGBTQIA+ folx that are on their journey to parenthood, becoming second-time mothers and more. We’ve created an LGBTQIA+ Parenting Glossary to help you stay on top of the latest terms to know. You’ll also find a Guide on Being a Non-Gestational Parent, to help people seek the support they might need.

At Poppy Seed Health, our advocates adhere to strict community expectations about supporting all people, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation or who they love. Many of our advocates are queer birth workers themselves, and are part of the network supporting our members 24/7. 

We stand proudly in our pride.

This month, I hope you’ll be inspired to spread the love we see across the world with celebrations of Pride. I hope you use our guides (not bashful!) to better support our queer friends and families. There is certainly more work to be done for equality, and at Poppy Seed Health, we’re committed to being part of that solution.

P.S.: You may have seen us featured in Business Insider last week; we are feeling the love! Thank you for being part of this journey with us. We hope you’ll tell a friend about all that Poppy Seed Health has to offer. Psst: If so, give them the code “POPPYMONTH” for one-month free on their membership.

With love,

Simmone Taitt

Founder & CEO, Poppy Seed Health