By Cara Anderson
IG: @carajojo
June is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual Pride month. June commemorates the Stonewall Riots of New York City in June 1969. Although President Trump did not formally declare June as National Pride Month, it has been formally recognized as so since 2000.
The LGBTQIA community has endured criticism, violence, oppression, and deserves to celebrate how far they’ve come. Anyone enjoying legal marijuana in California is celebrating a victory that would not have been possible without gay rights activists.
As a result of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, there were men in the gay community who were suffering as a result of no access to treatment or medication. In the 1980’s and early 1990’s being diagnosed with HIV/AIDS was an immediate death sentence, giving people about 18 months to live. Many people turned to marijuana to ease the pain of HIV/AIDs.
One particular case dealt with the Father of Prop 215, Dennis Peron. In 1996 a San Francisco narcotics unit seized four ounces of marijuana from Peron, he was dealing weed. At the time, Peron’s partner was dying from AIDS complications. To get him acquitted, Dennis’ partner, who was using the marijuana to cope with his insufferable pain, went to court to testify that the marijuana was, in fact, his own. Peron’s partner died from AIDS Wasting Syndrome two weeks later.
This devastated the San Francisco community and ultimately inspired people to vote in favor of medical marijuana. Peron also became doubly inspired to promote marijuana’s uses and push for legality. Prop 215 was passed in 1996 legalizing medical marijuana in California.
In short, if it weren’t for forthright LGBTQIA activists, like Dennis Peron, epidemic there wouldn’t be legal medical marijuana.
