A look back at the road previous LGBTQ+ activists took to get here, and how it led to the celebration we have today.
What Is Pride Month?
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LGBTQ+ Pride is a month-long celebration and commemoration of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer+ community and the people within it.
More Than a Celebration
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More than just a celebration, Pride also acts as a protest and push for LGBTQ+ rights and advocacy.
Protests and Parties
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A mixture of different parties, parades, marches and protests fill the month with both happiness and a sense of Pride for what the community has accomplished within the past year.
Going Back to the Start
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To get a better understanding of how much Pride means, it is important to go all the way back to the start.
The Stonewall Riots
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The Stonewall riots of 1969, beginning on June 28th, are widely recognized as the event that inspired all future Pride commemorations.
The Turning Point
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Still considered the turning point of the Gay rights movement, the Stonewall riots occurred when NYC police raided a gay bar, and the customers of the mafia-run Stonewall Inn said enough is enough.
Changing History
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The fighting went on for multiple days and was later recognized by President Obama, who deemed it the first national monument to honor the LGBTQ+ community and their rights.
Tracing it Back
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What started as a one-day party to celebrate the anniversary of the Stonewall riots has grown into the monthlong celebration we have today. The first mention of “Pride Month” in newspapers was archived by Newspaper.com and traces back to June 5th, 1972.
The Whole Month of June
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Activist Byrna Aronson said, “We call it Gay Pride week and Gay Pride Month, the whole month of June”. Also archived on newspaper.com, the New York Times mentions when Mayor Ed Koch announced the month of June as “Lesbian and Gay Pride and History Month”.
The Center of it All
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New York City started as the center of the Gay rights movement and continues to hold one of the biggest celebrations to this day.
Global Recognition
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It has now spread across the globe, and cities all over the world draw massive crowds to commemorate the holiday.
History of the Pride Flag
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The Pride flag has a storied past of its own. Created by Gilbert Baker in 1978, the flag is now globally recognized. Gilbert Baker told NBC News, “Up until the rainbow flag in 1978, the pink triangle had really functioned as kind of the symbol of homosexuality and gay rights, but it was designed by Hitler” back in 2016.
Previously Used to “Oppress Us”
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Baker continued, “It was put on us in the same way that they used the Star of David against Jews. It was a whole code of symbols that were used to oppress people. So we needed something that was from us”.
All for Our Human Rights
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“It expressed our diversity in terms of our gender, our race, our ages — all the ways we’re different yet connected. And then using something from nature, taking the rainbow, one of the most beautiful, magical, spiritual parts of nature and making that a symbol for our sexuality, for our human rights”.
21 Beliefs About the Bible That Are Actually False
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The Bible is one of the most discussed and debated books in history, yet many common beliefs about it are more myth than fact. How many of these misconceptions have you heard before? 21 Beliefs About the Bible That Are Actually False
21 Subtle Racisms That Are Commonplace in America
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Racism in America isn’t always overt; it often hides in plain sight through subtle actions and attitudes. How many of these subtle racisms have you noticed around you? 21 Subtle Racisms That Are Commonplace in America
Only Legal in America: 21 Things You CAN’T Do in the Rest of the World
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The U.S. dances to its own beat, especially when it comes to laws that make the rest of the world do a double-take. Here’s a lineup of things that scream “Only in America,” sticking strictly to what’s written in the law books. Ready for a tour through the American legal landscape that’ll leave you wondering if freedom might just be a bit too free? Only Legal in America: 21 Things You CAN’T Do in the Rest of the World
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Lena Ivanova.