With Pride month celebrated every June, the legalization of same-sex marriage in the U.S. and LGBTQ characters being featured in more TV shows and movies, it seems like gay rights has significantly improved since the infamous Stonewall Inn police raid in New York City 50 years ago.

However, the NAACP warns progress for the LGBTQ community still has a long way to go, especially for people of color.

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LGBTQ issues were the focus of the Gender Justice Matters Fireside Chat on Sunday at Cobo Center in Detroit, where the NAACP is holding its national conference. The panelists included Tiffany Dena Loftin, the NAACP national director for youth and college division; National Black Justice Coalition Executive Director David Johns; and actor Lawrence "Miss Lawrence" Washington.

One of the main topics of the panel was violent crimes targeted toward the black LGBTQ community, such as the case involving two Detroit men who police say shot and killed a gay man last month. Another hate crime that has occurred in Detroit recently was a triple homicide in May against two gay men and a transgender woman.

"One thing I hate is when I'm scrolling through the timelines on my social media is there is such a very small response and hashtags as it relates to a trans person's death as opposed to when there is a Trayvon Martin, Nipsey Hussle, an Eric Gardner" Lawrence said. "You know, there's an over flood, even from my gay brothers and sisters."

He then urged organizations like the NAACP and the National Action Network to reach out media outlets on gay crimes.

"When we send you content that this happened, we need you to post it."

Loftin added that people may have a narrow scope on LGBTQ crimes if they are not open to following LGBTQ-friendly organizations or people on social media and elsewhere.

"You're narrowing yourself to a very small percentage of blackness and that's not what black power, black solidarity, Black Lives Matter; none of those things mean that," she said. "It means all of the blackness."

The panel also touched on homophobia in the black community and how that causes anti-gay crimes and suicides of LGBTQ people.

Lawrence mentioned Nigel Shelby, a gay 15-year-old from Huntsville, Alabama, who committed suicide in April after being bullied. He believes homophobia stems from male salves being sexually abused during slavery, as well as society's historic condemnation of homosexuality. Lawrence said education from LGBTQ organizations and schools can be a step toward acceptance.

While violence against the LGBT community continues to be an issue, the panel agreed that media representation is one of the key ways to educate people.

For three seasons, Lawrence played the gender non-conforming hairstylist Miss Bruce on the Fox musical drama, "Star." He called the role "one of the most rewarding jobs ever." Lawrence said his appearance on the show even caused his father, who he had been estranged from for 20 years, to contact him.

"To show up in households where people get to mirror themselves and you tell stories people are familiar with, I think really helps push healing," Lawrence said.

Loftin said the NAACP has created initiatives in recent years in order for LGBTQ people to feel part of the organization. The NAACP is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its LGBTQ Task Force, and its faith-based LGBTQ workshop at last year's convention in San Antonio was the most attended and well-received.

"When you come to spaces like this, it's really important that you meet people where they're at and not try to level, set, or neutralize the issue, but just expose people to things they have never been exposed to before, and that comes with education," said Loftin.

She also talked about the uneasiness she feels when she posting about the killing of a LGBTQ person on social media, but said it is important to share that.

"Acknowledging the violence and trauma that is happening and speaking out and saying something about it is the first step, then having us take care of ourselves is second," Loftin said. "Now, we have to move with the people that we have, the coalitions, to get to solutions."