Pride Month is celebrated in June every year. As month-long celebrations take place around the country, today we share with you a brief history of why we celebrate Pride in the month of June.
We celebrate Pride in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, initiated on June 28, 1969, a series of events between police and the LGBTQ+ protesters which stretched over six days. The events that unfolded over the next six days would fundamentally change the discourse surrounding LGBTQ+ activism in the United States.
The first Pride march was held in New York City on June 28, 1970, on the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. In 2000, President Bill Clinton officially declared June as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month; then, President Obama expanded the observance in 2011 to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month.
Pride month was initially inspired by the 1969 Stonewall Uprising and serves to achieve equal justice and opportunities for LGBTQ+ Americans. Today, celebrations include pride parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia, concerts, and LGBTQ+ Pride Month events that attract millions of people around the world. There are also memorials held during Pride Month for members of the community who have been lost to hate crimes or HIV/AIDS.
This month we wish to invite you to join us in our efforts to be a support to your loved ones and community as well as educate yourself on the LGBTQ+ community and the impact that they have had on history/society on a local, national, and international level.
Happy Pride Month!
Please take a moment to explore these resources:
- https://guides.loc.gov/lgbtq-studies/stonewall-era#s-lib-ctab-24103782-0
- https://www.archives.gov/news/topics/lgbt-pride-month
- https://www.census.gov/newsroom/stories/lgbt-pride-month.html
- https://www.hrc.org/campaigns/celebrate-pride-with-us
Written by Freddy Ramirez, Office Supervisor
Academy for Professional Excellence