APF President Chaudhary Message on Pride Month
June 21, 2021
Dear friend of APF,
June is Pride Month in the United States. Parades, festivals, and educational events take place to mark the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, an event that civil rights advocates consider a critical tipping point for advancing the human rights of the LGBTQ+ community in the United States.
My own commitment to the Pakistani American community has been strengthened by the examples set by other communities. As an advocate of civil rights and ally of the LGBTQ+ community, I see pride month as an important recognition of the self-respect, acceptance, and confidence necessary for all communities and individuals to thrive.
This month provides multiple opportunities to learn and act to ensure we all enjoy lives free of prejudice and discrimination. I hope you will join APF and the Atlantic Council South Asia Center on Tuesday June 22 at 11:00 am EST for a conversation with author Mohsin Zaidi on his book A Dutiful Boy: A memoir of a gay Muslim’s journey to acceptance, which addresses the racial, ethnic, and religious discrimination challenges that immigrants from Pakistan and South Asia face when moving to the west.
I look forward to continuing this and many other important conversations with you on building bridges, opening minds, and empowering communities.
Sincerely,
Shamila N. Chaudhary
President, American Pakistan Foundation